


Leap through time, alter crime (to get back home to you)

by its_a_beautiful_deformity



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, It's not only smut I promise, Light Bondage, Light Dom/sub, Modeling, Oral Sex, Panic Attacks, Photography, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shameless Smut, Slice of Life, So.Much.Smut, Theatre, Third Ending, Threesome, Toys, Tribbing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:54:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 54,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27438403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_a_beautiful_deformity/pseuds/its_a_beautiful_deformity
Summary: What if you managed to save the town and the girl you loved only to start developing feelings for her girlfriend as well?ORThe slice of life fic where Max ends up living under the same roof with the embodiment of the devil but make it double. Trouble ensues...
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price, Rachel Amber/Chloe Price, Rachel Amber/Maxine "Max" Caulfield, Rachel Amber/Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Comments: 55
Kudos: 182





	1. One final spin

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to this very smutty slice of life fic with fluff sprinkled all over and a dash of angst to bring it all together! I started writing this during the first lockdown as a way to not lose my mind and now I can finally share it with you :D It is inspired by the LiS comic books but fear not! There's no need to have read them to be able to follow.
> 
> A few words first though; I have tagged everything form the get-go so please read them, that way you know what you're getting yourselves into! The chapters are loosely interconnected and their size will vary. Updates will be done whenever I get time off work so I apologise in advance if sometimes I am late. I have left the number of chapters open because as I said, it's a Slice of Life fic therefore I will add to it whenever inspiration strikes. Finally, this fic may contain some angst but the majority is just to put something fun and with lots of smut out there cause why the hell not? I am going to hell for writing this fic and I have made my peace with it. Also a huge thank you to my friend for helping out with the story whenever I got stuck and acting as my beta! 
> 
> So without further ado, here is chapter one, enjoy! 
> 
> P.S All three are adults here (20+) I cannot stress this enough! Also because I’m a big dum dum I forgot that drinking age in America is 21 and not 18 like here in the EU so for the sake of this fic please just assume that Max can order and drink.

Max felt like her head was about to break into a million little pieces. The headache was coursing through her brain. It hurts so much she could barely stand. She could feel the familiar sensation of warm blood running down her nose, dripping on her chin.

_This is the last time. It has to be._

She stepped into the white light. Here, everything was calm. No more headaches, no more nosebleeds. Just white static noise and her thoughts. She knew now that she couldn’t fix everything, God knew she had tried and failed each and every single time. She wished she could just pick a reality where everybody was happy but it wasn’t possible. She realised that now. It wasn’t an easy choice to make but was the only one that guaranteed both women remained alive. She won’t let Chloe suffer like this. She won’t let her die, consequences be damned. It was selfish but she didn’t care, she simply couldn’t do this any longer. Also, it was the only timeline Rachel lived. She couldn’t let a young woman full of life die in the hands of two psychopaths.

Unfortunately, there was no way to reverse time so Rachel didn’t go through all of that; drugged and tied up, being forced to pose so some sick assholes got their kick off seeing someone helpless like that, being their little doll to play with. No one should have to go through something so horrific, but Max couldn’t find an alternative where Rachel didn’t and got to live, so unfortunately it had to be done.

With one last deep breath Max took a step forward. This was it. The final jump. She wishes she’s made the right choice.

Max was back in the classroom again for the… she can’t even remember how many times she’s lived through this nightmare. Jefferson was talking again and the aspiring photographer felt her stomach turn. Just his voice was bringing back memories, clawing their way back to the surface. She wished her powers could erase instead of alter realities. But no matter what she tried, those events would always remain a part of her. She would never quite get the feeling of duct tape eating away at her wrists out of her mind. His voice plunged her mind back to the dark room, as Jefferson circled her like a vulture, his musky cologne overflowing her sense of smell as he leaned in. 

Yet Max sat there and endured. Endured for what she prayed would be the last time. 

The bell rang. Max’s heart began to race. _Please let this work_ _out._ Jefferson was still talking to her; she still had to answer. Fuck the Everyday Hero contests, she thought. Dear Lord for someone who could control time, it sure seemed like each minute passed agonisingly slow. 

This time Max didn’t go to the bathroom. She forced herself to pace up and down the student corridor, as far away from that godforsaken place as possible. She thought she might throw up from the anticipation. Her hands curled into a fist. Heart pounding in her chest. 

And that’s when it was heard. A loud shotgun noise reverberated throughout the entire building. 

_Please.Please.Please._

And that was when she saw her.

A blue haired figure was bursting out the bathroom, face contorted with fear and shock. A few seconds later she saw David tackle Nathan to the ground as the later was trying to flee.

 _Thank you, whoever is up there_ Max thought, still not believing it had worked. She had sensed that there was something special in this timeline she had jumped in. It was the only one in which Chloe moved fast enough and pushed Nathan’s hand away before he shot her.

But it wasn’t over yet. For her to be sure this would work Max still had to leave the school in Chloe’s car. Without wasting another second the young student bolted out of the corridors and headed for the parking lot. Just as luck would have it, she didn’t really have to try hard to fall in front of Chloe’s car because she tripped and landed right on the hood.

“Max?” she heard Chloe’s voice, laced with surprise and incredibility at having almost run over her childhood friend.

“Chloe?” Max tried to act as surprised as possible, seeing how she had lived this moment before.

And just like that they were off once again. 

The next few days were shrouded in mystery and restless expectation for a variety of outcomes. Max still had to step in and stop Kate from jumping off the rooftop. No matter how many times she had done it, it always left her shaken up. Thankfully, Chloe was there to support her. The good news from this whole ordeal was the arrest of Nathan and Jefferson after the police found the Dark Room from an “anonymous” tip to David, which Max had absolutely nothing to do with.

The final, and one of the main reasons why Max had chosen this timeline, was the outcome with Rachel. The next day of Max and Chloe’s meeting for the “first” time, when she was almost ran over, the punk had received a text from Rachel asking her to come to the hospital, yet again, because she needed someone, anyone other than her parents. Initially Chloe couldn’t believe her eyes. She had grabbed her car keys and dashed out of the house, driving like a mad woman to go see her. Chloe had actually cried from relief when she had finally gotten the chance to hug Rachel. 

As it turned out she had been drugged. She had walked right into Jefferson’s trap. Falling for his charms and his reputation as one of the most accomplished photographers. God, she had felt so stupid. She had been furious and scared at the same time but the drugs in her system made it impossible to escape, until Nathan had taken it upon himself to impress Jefferson. Taking a half-conscious, at the time, Rachel to the junkyard and making her pose for his shot. 

But that was where the timeline altered. 

This time Rachel had regained consciousness much quicker, perhaps a mistake in the drug dose making it lighter. And so the blonde had found the opportunity to strike Nathan in the head with the shovel he had brought with him. Rachel couldn’t remember much but she had flashes of her wandering, barefoot in the street until a car passed by and picked her up, bringing her to the hospital. Now she lay there, bruised, scared both physically and mentally. 

All this she had to relay to the police which was the final nail in the coffin for the two culprits. 

Max knew this would scar Rachel for life but it was the only way to keep her alive. She just hoped that having Chloe around would help in the recovery. It was time to heal. For everybody. 

\-------

This was it. Max had stalled as much as she could. In one month it would be June, which meant she would be graduating from her two year program in Blackwell and two weeks after that, Chloe, Rachel and herself would be moving to L.A. Rachel to fulfill her dream to become a model, Max to work as an apprentice/part-timer at a local photographer’s workshop and Chloe… well Chloe didn’t really care where she was going as long as she was far away from Arcadia Bay. 

During her time in Blackwell, Max had reconnected with Chloe and befriended Rachel or more so Rachel had adopted her. “No way in hell am I giving up the opportunity to have my own personal photographer.” Her words, not Max’s. 

And so it had come to be that the three would be moving to L.A together in a shared apartment. Max wasn’t going to deny that deep inside it hurt that she had to keep her feelings for Chloe a secret, that she was in love with her. And yes, she even felt a bit jealous because not long after meeting Rachel it was made apparent that Chloe and Rachel were together. She had convinced herself however, that she could weather the storm and had promised to never leave Chloe again and that’s exactly what she had done. 

But before beginning a new adventure she had to come clean. Keeping her time travelling powers a secret was not an option. The new start demanded honesty. 

This was how she found herself walking up the familiar path that led to the lighthouse. Chloe and Rachel were already there. Waiting for her. 

“There she is!” Chloe greeted her as the brunette approached the bench. 

“How’s it going Max? Ready for the big day?” Rachel asked, smiling at her.

“Y-yeah, I mean no? I don’t know?” Nailed it. 

“Relax dude. You got this!” Chloe said as she made space for Max to come join them on the bench they were sitting at.

Why was this so hard? Did she really want to complicate things again? Now, that everything seemed to have calmed down? The only answer Max could think of was, yes. 

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you guys but just didn’t know how or when to do it. And now that it’s almost time to move out, I figured it’s now or never.”

“You know you can tell us anything.” Rachel said. Voice gentle and coaxing, making Max’s nervousness ease just a tiny bit.

“You might think I’m crazy but just bear with me please. I can explain… almost everything.” Max said, anxiety washing all over her at the idea of revealing something so bizarre to anyone. Something Chloe picked up on immediately. 

“Okay, now you’re worrying me. Max what is it?” the punk asked, clearly concerned. 

Max had gone through thousands of scenarios of how to say this and prove her powers without tempting fate again. She had promised to never use them again except to prove that they existed.

_You got this Max Caulfield._

“I know this will sound insane, but I can reverse time.” Better rip the band aid off in one go.

Rachel and Chloe looked at each other as if they were wondering if they had heard correct.

“I don’t know how I got these powers, but I can reverse time. I can also focus on any picture I’ve taken and travel back in time, to where and when it was taken.”

“You’re right. This makes no sense. Max, did you go through my weed stash?” Chloe asked mockingly, making Max flush. 

“What? No! I’m serious you guys. I can prove it.” She frowned, her annoyance getting the better of her just for a few seconds. 

“I think the pressure from graduation is getting to her.” Rachel said to Chloe. 

“I was not expecting you to believe me so I will just have to show you. Who wants to go first?” Max said, making them both look at her immediately.

“What do you mean?” Chloe looked at her quizzically, eyebrow arched in that way that made Max all hot inside. The light from the setting sun was shining on Chloe's features at just the right angle, making it such an amazing picture shot. God she was beautiful. 

Max realised she must have been staring for a bit too long because she felt two pairs of eyes on her, studying her. She shook her head as if it would help her wake up. 

She had figured the best way to show them was the same way she had proved her powers to Chloe in the diner in the first timeline. Only this time she would hold one of the girl’s hand one at a time, so they experienced the sensation of going back and seeing it for themselves. She couldn’t physically take them back in time with her but they would get to experience the moment of rewinding, where things became a blur before being spit back out to the present. Unfortunately, they would also get a taste of that nasty headache. This was a little rewind trick she had learned through playing around with her powers. 

“One of you will show me the contents of their pockets. Then I’ll rewind time just before you show me and I will tell you what’s in them. While I do this, one of you will hold my hand and like this get some of the experience. I warn you though, you will end up with one very mean headache.”

None of the girls moved and sat looking at her as if she had sniffed all of Franck’s stash. 

Max held out her hand, incentivizing them to follow her lead.

“Fine, I’ll bite.” Chloe took out of her pockets her lighter, cigarettes, car keys and some change. Max memorized every detail. 

“Okay, so who wants to go first?” Max asked, eager to get this over with. 

“Max, love, whatever you’re on please don’t take it anymore, it makes you all fucked up. I would know…” Rachel said, a bit self-conscious. Immediately after that small comment, Rachel felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw it was her girlfriend's hand, a gesture of silent support. Rachel gave a small smile to Chloe as a thank you which her girlfriend instantly returned, before turning her attention back to their obviously stressed friend.

“Guys, I’m not taking drugs. Now, someone take my hand before I just grab one randomly.”

“Fine! I’ll do it.” Rachel said while getting up, coming to sit next to Max and doing as asked. 

“Okay this will feel super weird.” Max warned Rachel as she lifted her free hand and concentrated. 

Suddenly the whole world stopped moving, everything became blurry and a sharp pain shot through Rachel’s head.

“Ow, what the fuck!” Max heard Rachel protest, knowing it was because of the headache she was feeling but she did not speak, needing to concentrate on what she was doing.

All Rachel could do was watch as time seemed to rewind, birds flew backwards, conversations became muffled and she became speechless. And without a warning she was dropped out of the rewind state, feeling dizzy and disorientated. 

“Fine, I’ll bite.” Chloe was saying again. Max stopped her from taking the things out of her pocket and told her in every detail the contents. 

“How the hell…?” Chloe’s mouth was agape when she looked at Rachel. Immediately noticing her girlfriend’s complexion and look of astonishment. 

“Rachel? Are you okay??? You look pale.” The punk asked, concerned. 

“I-Max what the fuck just happened?!” she spoke a bit louder than intended. 

“You just got a taste of time travel.” 

“Holly Shit! Chloe she wasn’t lying.” Rachel exclaimed; eyes rounded as she turned to look at Chloe.

“Okay, you guys are freaking me out!”

“Chloe take my hand. Rachel, show me what’s in your bag.” Max ordered, wanting for Chloe to be included into this before she freaked out even more.

And so Max did the exact same thing, reversing time while holding Chloe’s hand, going back to the moment before Rachel emptied her bag, guessing everything correctly. 

“Max, what the hell… you weren’t kidding.” Chloe said in astonishment, trying to contain her excitement. 

Max shook her head. God she was so dizzy. She felt like all her energy had been sucked out.

“Shit! Are you okay?” Chloe cried out when she saw Max’s nose bleeding profoundly. 

“Y-yeah, I just haven’t used my powers in almost two years and this little hand trick is a real bitch.”

Both women gave her a concerned look before Rachel fished a tissue out of her bag and handed it to her. 

“Thanks.” Max replied as she wiped the blood off her upper lip.

“Here, you missed a spot.” Chloe said as she took the bloodied tissue and cleaned the corner of Max’s mouth. A gesture that made the photographer’s stomach swoop like it was filled with hundreds of butterflies.

“Max that was incredible! Why the hell have you NOT used these powers?!” Chloe asked after helping her out. She sounded pumped up. 

“Well this brings us to the next part of the story which is the one that sucks the most. I just want you to know that I have and will never lie to you. Neither of you.” Max promised, needing for the girls to believe her for what was to come. 

“After what we just experienced, we are never doubting again.” Rachel assured her. 

“This will be hard to hear but it’s the truth.” Max warned, preparing herself for the most difficult talk in her life. 

And so they sat there, hours went by and by the time Max finished talking the sun had set, painting the sky in dark purple and blues hues. 

No one talked for a long time after, digesting what they had heard. Max had told them everything about the original timeline. How she tried to save Chloe, how she failed to save them both. How she tried over and over again to find a timeline where they wouldn’t have to go through such horrendous events but couldn’t find any. 

“Please believe me. I tried. I tried so hard to make things right b-but…” she choked up. Reliving all those memories had drained her, had brought back all the hurt and fear she carried with her. She couldn’t hold back the tears she had bottled up over the last months. 

“I-I couldn’t let you die Chloe. I just couldn’t.” she sobbed and within seconds both girls were beside her, hugging her tightly and trying to comfort her. 

As hard as it was to believe all of this, they did. How could they not after what they had experienced? Plus, she had relayed to them in detail events that no one else knew except the people involved; like the events that went down with Frank. And the pain in Max’s eyes; it was real. There was no faking that. They had both gone through traumatic ordeals, so they knew real pain and fear when they saw it. 

“It’s over now. We got you. You can let it all out.” Chloe spoke in a soft voice, wanting to calm the sobbing girl in her arms down. Max needed to know that she had done everything she could. 

“Thank you, Max. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. Just know that we will always be here when you need us.” Rachel said reassuringly. Her own heart beating so fast she felt like she had run a marathon. 

The next few days after the heavy confession were odd, to say the least. None of the girls knew how to process all that information and so they each took some time for themselves. Re-evaluating their lives and their relationship. 

For someone with time powers one would think that Max knew a bit more than the average person about time, but there she was, not knowing when one month had flown by, receiving her diploma and award for the “Everyday heroes” contest with her parents, Chloe, Rachel and Joyce cheering her on. It had been an emotional day, happy day for everyone. Max couldn’t contain her smile. For once the future seemed bright, full of difficult challenges, yes, but she was ready to face them together with Chloe and Rachel. 

Which brings the three girls to now, eight months later, in a cosy apartment in L.A living their life anew.

It hadn’t been easy, mind you. In the end though, they had managed to find a spacious apartment with three bedrooms, one for each. Max had taken the room facing the west so she could always look out the window during the golden hour. Rachel occupied the room facing East and Chloe the one in between which was exactly what she had wanted because she didn’t want the sun disturbing her during her midday naps. However, the punk rarely used that room as she always slept with Rachel but it pleased her to know that she had a place where she could retreat to, if and when, she needed it. 

The entrance door opened to the living room area with an open kitchen, the kitchen island separating the two. Luckily, the place had a decent sized bathroom and bathtub which Rachel very much appreciated. 

Max had found a part-time job at a photography workshop and did freelance jobs on the side. Rachel took up modelling jobs whenever she got the chance and also had started acting at a small theatre company while Chloe had gotten a job at a car repair store run by a guy named Mike, who actually seemed to love what he did and didn’t look down on Chloe, like everyone else tended to do when they saw she didn’t have a high school degree. The punk also drew during her spare time; she found out it was cathartic and helped ease her anxiety. A lot of her work adorned the walls of the house, something she was especially proud of. 

Night had settled in, the stars shone above them even if they couldn’t make them out over the bright city lights. The three of them were returning home from a fun night out, the cool February breeze making the walk all the more enjoyable, yet slightly awkward, which had nothing to do with the weather. 

Chloe and Rachel always included Max in their talks, made the best of efforts to make her feel like she belonged but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t act like a couple as well. 

Neither Chloe nor Rachel failed to miss the side glances to their interlocked fingers as they walked, which Max tried hard to hide in vain. Chloe, the very embodiment of a tease that would usually banter with Max, kept weirdly quiet at times like these while Rachel on the other hand, had run out of patience. She had had enough. 

Oh she was aware that Max had feelings for Chloe from the time they were in Arcadia Bay but things had changed now. She could see Max stealing glances at both her and Chloe when she thought she was being discrete. There were definitely some strong feelings involved. To her it seemed normal, all three had matured, grown out of their old self, shedding off old burdens and hurt making way for new and healthier emotions to take root.

Rachel could see how both women had looked at each other over the years and tonight was no different. She needed to take action. Now. There was so much a girl could take. 

And that’s exactly what she did once they entered their apartment. Sitting them down around the kitchen island for a little girl on girl on girl talk, with Chloe and Max facing each other and Rachel in the middle. She felt like a referee, might as well be wearing a black and white striped tee. 

“Soooo…. Why are we sitting here like we’re about to get the third degree?” Chloe asked, looking at Max as she balanced on the hind legs of the stool she was sitting on. 

“Hey, don’t look at me! Rachel’s the one acting all mysterious for once.”

“You’re telling me none of you have figured it out?” Rachel spoke, surprise genuine in her voice. 

“NoPe.” Chloe answered, lips drawn together before parting with a loud _pop_ sound. 

Max just shook her head.

Rachel closed her eyes and breathed in. Hard way it was then. 

“Will you two finally admit your feelings for each other or do I have to force it out of you?”

“What?!” Max shot out in surprise, immediately becoming aware of her sprawled position over the counter and withdrawing, hunching over as if to protect herself. Her mind screaming BUSTED to her instead of trying to help. Totally betrayed. 

“Yes Rach, please enlighten us!” Chloe chimed in, instantly sitting upright, the front legs of the stool coming down with a harsh thud, all while the punk attempted to ease her beating heart, panic rising from within, feeling like she had been caught red-handed and had fucked things up again. 

“Oh, come on! Do you really think I drink dumb juice?”

Chloe raised an eyebrow at her to which Rachel responded by flipping her off.

“I’ve seen how you both look at each other like a pack of hungry wolves looking at their prey.”

“Rachel!” they both cried out in unison in complaint but knew her to be true.

Max did not want to admit her feelings because the two women were in a relationship and she would never be _that_ person to get between them. She would never hurt Chloe, ever again nor would she admit that over the past year she’d fallen hard for Rachel too. 

As for Chloe there was no denying it, she loved Rachel, but she had also had feelings for Max for years. It had first started as an innocent teen crush that never got developed into anything more. And now that she was back how could she bring it up? She did not want to mess things up with Rachel; the one good thing she had gotten out of her years in Blackhell. 

The weak attempts to hide their feelings had not fooled Rachel. She could see how Chloe looked at Max. Knew her too well by now. The same applied for Max, the girl was an open book when it came to how she acted, around Chloe at least. In addition, Rachel wasn’t afraid by her realization that she herself was into Max. The brunette had seemed shy at first glance but Rachel was sure she was hiding more than she was letting on. Had a force that she would love to tap into. Plus, she was one of the best photographers out there and the only one she felt safe around after the nightmare she went through with that ass Jefferson and Nathan. 

“Am I wrong?” Rachel persisted but her voice was calm, almost soothing as if she wanted to reassure them that everything was alright. 

_No way of getting out of this one huh?_ Thought Max. So much for being smooth as a ninja. Might as well bite the bullet. 

“No. You’re right. And I think you know it too Chloe.” Max looked at Chloe straight in the eyes, wanting to show her she meant what she said and needing to see Chloe’s reactions to her words. “You can’t remember it because we are in a different timeline but when we were by the lighthouse and the storm was minutes away I told you how I felt and I…I kinda kissed you.” She said now averting her gaze and fumbling with her fingers nervously. 

Both Chloe and Rachel stared at her in surprise.

“And I could never come between you guys. I chose this timeline knowing I might not have a chance with you but that didn’t matter. What mattered was for both of you to be safe. _Alive_.” Max tore her eyes from the corner of the table they had been glued on to look at Rachel. She cleared her throat, trying to find her voice again. 

“Since we’re coming clean, I might as well say it. Rachel I um..” Where did all the confidence she had just now disappear to? She took a deep breath, abating her nerves. 

“During the past year, I’ve fallen for you too. I mean spine breaking hard. Is that weird?”

“No, Max. It’s not. It’s completely fine.” Rachel said in a honey-laced voice as she reached for her hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. 

“Fuck.” Chloe grunted as she dropped her head on the tabletop with a dull thud. Max’s heart was pounding. She was afraid Chloe wouldn’t feel the same way. That she had made a huge mistake and even though she could rewind back time, it was out of the question. She would deal with it like all normal people did. Time she wore her big girl pants. 

“Max.” Chloe looked up again. Why was she so nervous? She wasn’t being rejected. On the contrary. “Max, I’ve had feelings for you since we were teens. And then you left and that broke my heart.” 

Max felt her heart plummet to her stomach. The words like a thousand knives being thrown at her. 

“But I never stopped thinking about you. And then you returned, and I didn’t know how to process it. It was so sudden. Christ I nearly drove you over the first time I saw you after so many years!” she admitted, feeling a bit lighter from getting so many things off her chest. Chloe then turned to face Rachel. 

“I was afraid of admitting it. Rachel, how was I supposed to bring this up? You know how much I love you and I can’t bear to lose you.” Under all the bravado, Chloe was insecure. Scared that she would somehow fuck up and be left alone again.

“Listen, both of you.” Rachel spoke up, drawing two pair of blue eyes on her.

“I get both of your reasons for not wanting to speak and I completely understand. I respect you both for not wanting to complicate things and hurt one another. But. I can’t just stand here and watch both of you avoid the subject and suppress your feelings for my sake.” 

No one spoke, waiting for Rachel to continue. 

“Chloe, we’ve been through some of the hardest times in our lives together and nothing or no one will ever change that. I love you. You’ve helped me become a better person, even if you have trouble believing it. You were the only person in my life that never lied to me. You stood by my side and even called out my bullshit. Not a lot of people can do that.” To this Chloe gave her a warm smile full of love. She knew Rachel was referring to the rough patch they had gone through when the former had a fling with Franck. Chloe’s then explosive behaviour hadn’t helped but she was glad that they overcame the obstacle, together. She never again doubted Rachel’s love for her.

“And Max, these past few months have been some of the most fun I’ve had in my life. Chloe is constantly smiling and is genuinely happy. How could I be mad at that? And to make things clear. You’re not the only one who’s fallen for a second someone.” She said, a small smile creeping in the corner of her lips, lifting a bit the mood that had fallen heavy over them. 

“Wait. What do you mean?!” Max shot back immediately, not entirely sure she had heard correct or if her mind was playing tricks on her. 

“I mean, dummy. I like you. You’re not the only one who caught feelings…” she trailed off, letting the statement sink in. 

An awkward silence settled over them as nobody dared to speak, simply trying to sort through their thoughts. Chloe was the first one to break the silence. 

“So, now what?” she asked although deep down she knew exactly what she wanted. 

Rachel scanned them both before speaking. She needed to be sure she read them correctly before she suggested anything. 

“Now if both of you are okay with it and it’s something you think we can manage; we try it out.” Rachel offered, voice firm despite the knot in her stomach, fearing she had crossed a line. 

“Wait. You mean like the three of us?” Chloe inquired with an incredulous look on her face. 

“Yes.” Rachel responded, keeping a straight face but deep inside the little voice in her head was yelling at her that she was out of her mind.

Throughout all this, Max was sitting tensely, rigid as if struck by lightning. The minutes seemed to stretch into hours, and she didn’t know how much more she could take, being in this state of shock. 

Thankfully, Chloe came to the rescue.

“I’m willing to give it a try if both of you are alright with it.” Max had never seen Chloe so serious before. She really wanted this; she could tell. There was anticipation, excitement and fear in those pale blue eyes that made her heart skip a beat every time she looked into them. 

Max had never been in a proper relationship before. It's not like she had no experience in dating, but never something serious and definitely not with two people. She was terrified but if there was one thing she was certain about, was her love for Chloe and her newly developed love for Rachel. So why not? She had chosen this timeline for a reason. She had sacrificed so much, including her own happiness, seeing how Chloe and Rachel would most likely end up being together in her chosen timeline, eliminating all chances of Max being with Chloe. And things did end up happening exactly that way but now she was being given the chance to be with two amazing women. No way in hell would she pass up on this. 

“I want to give us a chance too.” She finally said, locking eyes first with Chloe and then with Rachel.

“Max…Are you sure?” Chloe asked. Disbelief coloured her voice, yet her eyes were full of yearning.

“Yes, Chloe. How could I ever say no?” To this Chloe flashed one of her brightest smiles which was mirrored by Rachel and Max could feel her heart swell with joy because holly shit this was really happening. 

Rachel didn’t waste another minute. She got up from her seat and took both women’s hands, pulling till all three were standing. She hugged Chloe and kissed her on the lips, smiling into the kiss when the other wrapped her arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. Once they, reluctantly, parted the model faced Max who was awkwardly standing beside them. Rachel closed the small gap between them with two steps. She placed her hand on Max’s cheek, smiling tenderly at her, making Max feel like her skin would melt under the touch.

“Can I?” Rachel asked, sounding a bit hesitant. Max couldn’t seem to remember how to form words, so she gave the next best thing. A nod. 

Rachel started moving again, angling her head slightly to the left, leaning in and then Rachel was kissing her. It wasn’t a deep kiss, lips lightly brushing against hers but it was enough to have Max’s pulse speed up. 

“Shit. That’s hot.” Chloe said behind them. Aaand the moment was ruined. Chloe was back. 

“You really know how to read the room don’t you?” Rachel teased, backing away from Max.

“I consider myself an expert.” Chloe paused for a moment as if considering something. “Hey Max.”

“Yes?”

“When you told us about the storm and the lighthouse. You said we were up there, together right?”

“Yeah…” Max didn’t really want to remember that day.

“How about you remind me then?” 

Max looked at her, confusion plastered all over her face.

“Remind you of what?”

“You said you kissed me. Remind me or show me? Not sure how this time travelling shit works.”

Max was suddenly anxious, not only was another person watching them, with a sly grin spread all over their face at that, already enjoying this a little too much, but this would also be their first kiss well not technically but the first, nonetheless, for this Chloe.

The request had caught her off guard and now her heart was hammering so hard against her chest it threatened to burst out. Despite all the turmoil inside her, she took a step forward and placed her hand on Chloe’s nape just like that day, triggering bad memories that Max tried hard to suppress. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. 

The next thing her brain registered was a pair of soft lips on hers and Chloe’s perfume invading her senses. Max had dreamed of this moment for so long, getting to kiss Chloe without the sense of finality and knowing she would never see her again. To have the woman she loved, and was willing to sacrifice an entire town for, in her arms was overwhelming. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that.” Chloe said as they broke apart. “Hey, no offence.“ she said with a bashful smile to Rachel.

“None taken.”

Max laughed and sniffled, holding back the tears, refusing to let them fall. 

“What’s wrong?” Chloe asked with concern, thumb caressing her cheek. 

“Nothing it’s just, this is one of the happiest moments but this kiss made me remember that day, by the lighthouse… God Chloe, the number of times I had to watch you die.” Max said, sounding distressed, as a flood of images of Chloe’s dead body rushed behind her eyes like a film. 

Both girls rushed over to hug Max. 

“Hey, it’s over now. I am never letting you go.” Chloe consoled her as she caressed her hair. 

“You’re safe now Max and know that if you ever want to talk again about the things you’ve been through, we are here for you.” Rachel added before landing a soft kiss on her head.

“Thanks.” Max sniffled, already feeling herself calm down by the comforting embrace of the two women. 

The three young women took some time to collect their thoughts after such big revelations been made. Feeling the discomfort the party clothes they still had on brought them, Rachel suggested they take some time to take showers and change into comfortable and clean ones before regrouping in the living room.

It took some time but soon enough all three of them were freshly showered and sprawled around in the living room couches.

“I say this calls for a celebration!” Rachel said, feeling exhilarated. 

“Didn’t we just come back from one?” Max asked in bewilderment. 

“Oh my sweet summer child. You've never partied twice at the same night, have you?” Rachel teased but there was no animosity in her voice.

“No, she hasn’t.” Chloe answered for her.

“Hey! You guys are already teaming up against me?!” Max protested, her fingers curling over the helm of her hoodie in the most adorable sweater paws Chloe and Rachel had ever seen. 

“Oh, this is just the beginning.” Rachel poked fun at Max and gave her a small peck on the lips before shuffling over to the wireless speakers, switching them on and turning up the volume. 

Max stood there, stunned by the kiss she wasn’t used to receiving yet. This was real. She couldn’t help but smile. 

“Come on Maxipad. Join us!” Chloe called to her from where she had joined Rachel, dancing to the music.

“I don’t see how calling me a pad is supposed to motivate me.” She argued back.

“Smartass. How about this then?” Chloe said before taking her hand and pulling her in for another kiss. 

Max was prepared this time and eagerly eased into it, feeling all types of mushy and in love. 

“Mmm I like your methods of persuasion.” Max finally said after she unwillingly pulled away. 

It didn’t take long for Max to get over her initial reluctance and soon she was dancing carefree with her new partners. 

Of course, at some point, Max took a step back and went to grab her camera, capturing the moment with a few pictures from her polaroid. It was truly great that neither of her girlfriends were shy in front of a camera as they danced, posed and dragged her in so all three could be in the picture. This was a night none of them would forget. 


	2. It all started with a kiss, glad it ended like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo! Hope you're all keeping safe!  
> I need to say a HUGE thank you to my friend/beta cause they helped me out so damn much with this chapter cause some parts were driving me crazy.  
> Hope you enjoy !

Max was sitting behind her work desk, trying to concentrate on answering emails but her mind had other plans. A month had already passed since she had entered this new relationship. She often caught herself smiling at random moments of the day or felt her heart flutter when she received a new text.

From early on, Rachel had asked Max what her limits were; was she okay with kisses out of the blue? With casual touches and more intimate ones? Rachel had not wanted to assume anything and had preferred clearing the air from the start, so no one felt uncomfortable. Max had said she was okay with everything despite the nervous clench of her stomach when she tried to initiate something, which hadn’t been very often, but was working on overcoming that reluctance. Neither Chloe nor Rachel had ever pushed her to do something she hadn’t wanted, and Max was grateful.

Max stared at the blinking cursor on her screen, realising she hadn’t typed anything, head being bombarded by a myriad of thoughts. She had known all along that a relationship would need communication, a healthy back-and-forth to work properly. Having not one but _two_ girlfriends portended even more of that; too many variables in the equation needed clarification and couldn’t be left to mere assumptions. But of course, one could not simply walk into the room and start talking about things that had yet to come to pass. So, like every other relationship, theirs had a few pivotal events that led them to establishing boundaries and opening up.

One such event had taken place about a week ago, when Max had come home to find Chloe and Rachel making out on the couch. Max hadn’t been able to hide her startled face and the wave of mixed emotions that washed over her. She had felt embarrassed for walking in on them, flustered and yes even a little bit jealous. The last one especially bothered her. There were three people in this relationship. She had known that when she had agreed, so why had she felt that way? Right after, Max had made a beeline for her room and hadn’t even come out for dinner feeling silly and guilty for her reaction. The next day, it had been Chloe who had asked Max and Rachel to sit down and discuss what had happened. Max had admitted that the reason she had acted like that was because she was still a bit insecure; seeing how Chloe and Rachel had been together for longer and how doubts constantly crept in her mind, that she didn’t belong. 

After having reassured Max that that wasn’t the case, Rachel had surprised the punk and the photographer by admitting that even she wasn’t unaffected by this change. Max had known Chloe for much longer than Rachel had and even though she appeared confident that didn’t mean the little voice in her head didn’t play tricks on her, whispering in her ear words that grew like weeds and masked the real picture. After what had happened with her parents; how they had hidden the truth about her real mother for years, it wasn’t hard to believe that Rachel had a few trust issues. But she trusted Chloe and Max, and that was enough for the moment.

Once all the cards had been laid on the table, the talk had unavoidably reached the topic which all three knew was bound to appear but nonetheless were anxious about; sex and whether it was okay to be intimate all three but also just two of them if the third person wasn’t in the mood or wasn’t around. All three had been serious throughout the discussion as they knew the gravity of the situation and how it could possibly be a catalyst for their new relationship to fall apart before it even began.

They had come to the conclusion that they could do anything they pleased, whenever they wanted, even if it was just two of them as it seemed only fair and did not make them feel constricted in their own relationship.

Back at the office, Max nibbled on her thumb, grinning like a lovestruck idiot upon remembering their conversation and how relieved she had felt after it had ended, deciding that it had totally been worth the awkward moments and restless stretches of silence of their talk. She also realized that today she would be as productive as a potato seeing as she couldn’t concentrate on anything else other than replaying last night’s memories, images appearing in her head as if being developed in a Dark Room.

And really, Max should have expected that her days of overthinking and trying to dissect each spoken word that made her heart flutter would be washed away in a night like all the others. 

_Max sat on Rachel’s bed with said woman sitting in between her and Chloe. All three were under a light blanket and watching a movie on Max’s laptop since it was the one with the biggest screen and higher resolution for her editing programs. It was Friday night and all three women had deemed it movie night which meant making popcorn and ordering takeout while watching B rated movies or those atrocities Warren gave Max which the latter forced Chloe and Rachel to watch as well because “I can’t be the only one traumatised here.” as she would put it._

_The photographer however, found it increasingly hard to focus as the movie progressed all because her body decided that today was going to be the day to torment her. Yeah, it was one of those days that a particularly growing need between her legs would not go away and the more she fought not to think about it the more it made its presence known._

_And of course the exact same day that she felt flustered and couldn’t get her mind out of the gutter, was the same day Chloe had to pull her into a make out session when the brunette had gotten home from work while they waited for Rachel to finish showering and eat dinner. Oh that had made everything so much worse and left Max with an untamed fire within her that was threatening to slowly burn her from the inside out._

_As it turned out, she wouldn’t be getting a break now either. Because why would the universe give her a chance to catch her breath? No, it was more fun to make her suffer in the sweetest way possible._

_Rachel had her hand on Max’s lap and was lightly tracing her thumb over the photographer’s pyjamas unbeknownst to her that even the slightest of touches had the brunette fighting not to squirm in her spot._

_Max tried to ease her breathing and concentrate on the film but the warmth radiating from Rachel’s touch, even if she was touching her over thin fabric, was making it impossible for the brunette. She shifted in her spot, resting her head against the wall and closing her eyes for a brief moment before crossing her legs and squeezing her thighs together. Nope, no, bad idea. The light pressure applied between her legs had her biting the inside of her mouth as she attempted to control her movements._

_“You alright?” Rachel cast her a side glance, closely examining her girlfriend._

_“Y-yeah.” Max managed to say in a rather shaky exhale._

_Rachel eyed her one last time before going back to the movie but her hand moved and pushed its way between the photographer’s legs to rest on her inner thigh and resumed its previous slow strokes._

_Max wanted to scream. The need inside was already burning hot and all Rachel was doing was adding fuel to the flames. At some point, the blonde started to gently massage the muscle of Max’s thigh, fingers gently digging in soft flesh. Was she doing this on purpose? Max didn’t know but she found herself praying that Rachel’s hand would travel up higher. The thought had come so naturally that it took a minute for the photographer to realise what she was wishing, making her cheeks burn immediately after but the desire not once wavering, having now taken root inside her, unrelenting. They still hadn’t crossed that huge milestone of sleeping together but it was clear as day now, how bad Max wanted them to._

_It was then that she felt the sensation of nails being dragged along her leg. Okay, Rachel was_ definitely _doing it on purpose. Before she could stop herself, a quiet moan tore from her, but she immediately cleared her throat in an attempt to disguise the sound while at the same time looked towards Rachel to see if the blonde had heard._

_Oh Rachel had heard it alright and was sporting a small smile akin to a smirk. Hazel eyes pinned on Max’s deep blues before dropping down to her lips._

_The photographer hurriedly looked away, her heart beating fast in her chest at having been caught and wishing the floor beneath her would open and swallow her whole. This was a disaster. She was horny, coherent thoughts were a thing of the past and she had not one, but two extremely hot girlfriends that were there and surely willing to help her out but Max had no idea how to even begin asking for such a thing._

_During the inner battle between her libido and the rational part of her brain that was slowly losing ground, she felt Rachel shift beside her, leaning towards Chloe but Max did not dare take her eyes off the screen. Mostly scared that the blonde would be eyeing her again and somehow read her mind but also because a persistent tension had settled in her lower stomach and taken over all other mental processes. She didn’t trust herself to move, afraid that she wouldn’t be able to contain her voice if more pressure was applied between her legs._

_Before she knew it, the model was facing her again. This time Rachel was so close, Max could feel the blonde’s breath on her skin._

_“How about we take a break from the movie?” Rachel suggested._

_“Why-“ It wasn’t much of a question apparently because Max was cut short by a pair of soft lips colliding with hers and that’s all it took for her brain to implode. Rachel kissed her with more force, tongue swiping over her lower lip before diving in when Max opened her mouth. This time the brunette couldn’t hold back the moan that spilled out of her mouth and Rachel drank it all up._

_The blonde started moving then, pushing Max gently on the shoulder to get her to lie down, not once breaking the kiss, and the brunette allowed it, her brain too high on hormones and desire to protest sensing that they weren’t going to get back to the movie anytime soon._

_The photographer found that nothing was blocking her feet as she stretched out, laptop nowhere to be found, before she felt the bed dip and a warm body come up to her, pressing another pair of lips against her neck._

_After getting up to pause the movie and set the device on the desk, Chloe had crawled her way back onto the bed to lie beside Max, wanting in on the game and going straight in for a critical hit by biting down on her earlobe; a weak spot she had discovered during their numerous make-out sessions. Right on cue, a spark of electricity coursed through Max’s body and landed right in her core, forcing her to gasp into the kiss with Rachel. God she was so turned on she could barely think straight._

_The atmosphere in the room had unequivocally changed. It was heavy and so charged that if someone struck a match the whole place would surely go up in flames._

_Rachel took the small pause from the broken kiss as an opportunity to place her leg between Max’ before leaning back down to lavish the brunette’s neck with kisses. Rachel’s lips though were immediately replaced by Chloe’s, not giving Max time to catch her breath. The kiss wasn’t as controlled as Rachel’s but more playful; Chloe alternated between sucking and biting the brunette’s lower lip before fully kissing her._

_The photographer felt her brain turn to mush. Her one hand found purchase on Chloe’s T-shirt while the other held onto Rachel’s arm as she unintentionally started grinding her hips against Rachel’s thigh that rested between her legs, in search of any form of friction. It wasn’t much but it would have to do and it beat the alternative which was shoving her hand down her pants._

_Rachel smiled against Max’s skin, letting more of her weight fall onto Max before bringing her leg up to apply more pressure on the brunette whose hips bucked instantly and her grip tightened around Rachel’s arm._ Fuck _. She could feel her underwear slide against her from how_ wet _she was._

_The instant Max’s head rolled back, the sweetest moan Chloe or Rachel had ever heard, escaped the brunette’s lips and they both knew then and there that they’d give anything to hear it again._

_“Oh sweet baby girl.” Rachel caressed Max’s face and tucked a few locks of hair behind her ear all the while Chloe watched them both with an intense stare, as the punk tried to still her own rapidly beating heart._

_“Sorry. I didn’t-I-“ Max could barely focus on what she wanted to say. That had felt so good but now that the realisation of how desperate she felt, of what she had been doing kicked in, she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her, cheeks burning hot._

_“Babe, there’s nothing you need to apologise for.” Rachel spoke in a soothing voice, bringing Max’s hand up to her lips and giving it a small kiss._

_“Yeah, we just want to make you feel good.” Chloe leaned in to peck her on the lips. “We can stop right here, we don’t have to go all the way if you don’t want to.” Chloe said in a soft voice. She really didn’t want to mess this up or push Max too much._

_“But just know that if you do, we will take it slow and stop at any moment you feel uncomfortable.” Rachel said as soothingly as she could manage. She too was feeling the pressure and did not want to do anything to upset Max._

_Earlier, she had sensed that something was up with the brunette by the way she had responded to her touches and had decided to test the waters but now doubts were creeping in, that maybe Max wasn’t up for it and was just going with the flow._

_The photographer listened closely to both her girlfriends. It was true that she was a bit scared. This would be her first time but she also knew that she wanted it to be with the two of them and couldn’t find any reason to not continue even though her stomach was tied in knots due to the fact that she’d never reached this far with anybody before._

_“I want this. I want you both.” Max said in the most determined voice that she could master in her state._

_Chloe and Rachel looked at each other for a quick but intense moment. They had wanted to sleep with Max for some time now but were both too hesitant to initiate anything, afraid of going too fast or not knowing how to approach the subject._

_“Okay.” Chloe breathed out as she registered the words. Anticipation and nervousness filling every fibre of her being._

_Rachel gave Max one last kiss before moving to sit up and straddle her. Her hips started a slow circular motion, grinding down against the photographer who was actively telling herself to remember to breathe, because holly hell that felt good._

_“You can touch me if you want, Max.” Rachel gave her a small smile as she could practically see the thoughts forming over the brunette’s head, wondering what to do with her idle hands._

_“Like this.” Chloe said as she moved to kneel behind the blonde. She placed her hands on either side of Rachel’s waist and gradually started running them up her sides, dragging her shirt along the way until she could take hold of it, pulling it off Rachel._

_Max audibly gulped. Rachel wasn’t wearing anything under her shirt. Unfortunately, she wasn’t given enough time to process that information because she was assaulted by another visual of Chloe’s hands roaming over delicate skin, from Rachel’s stomach all the way to her beasts._

_The blonde let out a small gasp when she felt the punk’s hands on her, callused fingers passing over sensitive skin as she dropped her head back to rest on Chloe’s shoulder before turning her head to seal their lips together._

_For a few seconds, Max thought that she would pass out. The feeling, the visual, everything was new and if she was honest a bit nerve-racking, but she also felt a strong need to participate. She wanted to give as much as she was receiving._

_With that thought giving her the confidence boost she needed, the brunette pushed up from the bed and replaced Chloe’s hands with her own on the model’s hips before leaning in to kiss Rachel when the blonde turned to look at Max. This she knew how to do, was comfortable with and Max latched on to it. It also helped that Rachel responded eagerly to her initiative, kissing back with vigour._

_The brunette staggered for one instant, momentarily losing the rhythm of her kiss with Rachel when she felt Chloe’s hand take hers and guide it up until Max was the one cupping the blonde’s breast with the punk guiding her through it._

_That’s when the photographer felt Rachel take hold of the hem of her shirt and start to pull up, stopping midway and breaking the kiss to look at Max who whispered a_ Yes _before letting the blonde continue and fighting every instinct that was screaming at her to cover up because she might have forgotten one teeny tiny detail. She had been in her pyjamas, straight out of a shower which meant no bra._

_Rachel must have sensed her apprehension because she quickly pulled her towards her body so they were flush against each other and resumed their kiss to help distract her girlfriend._

_But Max hadn’t needed the kiss for that. No, the feel of warm, bare skin against hers had done the job pretty nicely._

_Once her mind wasn’t in the red alert zone anymore, the brunette began to cover Rachel’s neck and shoulder with kisses until her concentration was broken yet again by Chloe’s hand wiggling between her and the model, pushing past the band of Rachel’s pants to touch her and start working her up._

_Rachel couldn’t stop a moan from escaping her, the feeling of Chloe's fingers along with the press of lips on her neck made it impossible for her to keep quiet. The sensations were flooding her brain with endorphins. But as much as her body was begging her to stay there and be worshipped, she knew that for once this wasn’t about her. It was about Max and making sure she was not only comfortable but was also having fun. Rachel wanted to discover what made the photographer tick, what made her melt and ask for more and she was certain Chloe felt the same way._

_And so with a bit of reluctance, she paused the punk’s movements and proceeded to push Max back until she was laying back on the bed with Rachel giving her one last peck before she made her way down and littered freckled skin with kisses._

_Unfortunately for Chloe, it was her turn to have her brain short circuit when her eyes took in the sight below her. All this time she had been devoid of any type of visual and now that she could take it all in, it felt like she had been kicked in the stomach because holly shit Max was there, in bed, topless and Rachel was dragging her lips across her breasts, sides and stomach and the punk might have felt a bit faint._

_Chloe broke out of her trance-like state to allow Rachel to move more freely and went to settle on Max’s side. She placed her hand on the brunette’s neck and pulled her in for a kiss._

_Max didn’t know what to focus on first. Chloe’s lips dragging along hers? How her hand started moving lower, albeit with a slight tremble in it, as she hesitantly traced light caresses over her chest until the punk was cupping her? Chloe was definitely feeling apprehensive, afraid that she might be moving too fast but Max’s small hiccup and moan told her otherwise._

_The photographer’s mind however, also registered Rachel’s kisses on her stomach and her fingers on her hips, flirting with the waistband of her pyjamas, never fully sliding underneath them._

_When Rachel’s lips reached below Max’s navel she stopped and sat up, her question bringing two pairs of blue eyes on her._

_“Max, do you want me to continue?” She asked in as smooth of a voice as she could master in the moment; when blood levels rose and desire was running high._

_Max could hear her heart beat loudly in her ears. Her nerves surging to the surface once again as her stomach tightened. Was she ready to be completely bare in front of her girlfriends? She didn’t think anybody was at first but she was certain she wanted this and that given time, she would become more comfortable with it._

_“Yes.” Her answer came out in a soft yet determined voice._

_Rachel smiled at her as she hooked her fingers on the band of Max’s pyjama pants and pulled off one layer. Locking eyes with Chloe who had turned to watch the blonde, she started laying kisses on Max’s inner thigh, a small smirk forming at the corner of her mouth upon noticing the punk lick her lips at the sight before Chloe resumed running her tongue along the brunette’s exposed neck._

_Just when Max thought her brain had adjusted to two different set of hands on her, a guttural moan was forced out of her as she felt Rachel’s thumb pressing down on a sensitive bundle of nerves over her underwear before gently moving up and down her sex. It made her hips buckle, chasing after the sensation again, and her hold tightened around Chloe’s arm who nuzzled the side of her head with her nose before speaking in a raspy voice._

_“I got you.”_

_Max’s pulse didn’t slow down but she did however find her body unwind at the reassuring words grazed against her ear._

_Once Rachel saw that Max had relaxed again, she decided it was time to remove the last piece of fabric that separated them._

_No matter how well Rachel and Chloe knew their way in the bedroom, they still had to steady their breath at the sight in front of them. They had wanted Max for a long time and now they were getting a chance to be with her. And the cherry on the top was that her first time was with them. So, it wasn’t a stretch to say that they felt the pressure but also an immense eagerness._

_Rachel’s warmth on her now felt ten times more intense and Max tried not to blush but failed miserably when the model’s fingers caught on wet folds, revealing how pent up Max had been all day._

_It’s not like Max was a saint. She had ventured down the road of self-discovery before and so wasn’t a stranger to the sensation of being touched but having somebody else do it was an entirely different experience, especially since this was Rachel Amber,_ her girlfriend _, the woman that half Arcadia Bay was openly crushing on and the other half scorned, but secretly wanted to be like._

_“Do you want her to taste you Max?” Chloe’s low voice echoed against her skin before the punk nibbled on her ear._

_Oh sweet heavens above, Max was_ not _going to come out of this alive, was she?_

_Max felt Rachel bite down on her thigh and squeeze her sides, no doubt having heard the question as well and clearly wanting to do just that._

_A strong throbbing sensation she’d never felt before nestled between her legs as images of Rachel’s tongue buried in her flashed through her mind, effectively making the decision for her._

_The hungry look the model darted her when she gave Rachel the confirmation made her skin prickle with anticipation as she let her girlfriend settle down with one leg on either side of her head._

_Chloe had never felt more distracted and she wasn’t even on the receiving end. The kisses she left on Max’s exposed skin were untimed as she stole glances at Rachel who had her long hair pushed to the side as her lips neared Max’s sex. The punk felt like the t-shirt and shorts she was still wearing might as well be made of wool because her whole body was burning up. She could feel her underwear cling to her and fucking Christ nobody had even touched her yet._

_Her trail of thoughts were broken by the sound of Max gasping and stiffening beneath her as Rachel parted the brunette open with her fingers before running her tongue along slick folds. The model breathed in deeply through her nose and hummed upon tasting Max. Every fibre of her body urged her to make the brunette hers, to have her writhing under her experienced touch but this could wait. Now she had to focus on taking it slow._

_Max on the other hand was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her hips in check because this was like nothing she’d ever felt before. The tongue that was currently drawing out this deep pleasure from within her was hot and wet and so fucking good she was certain that she had already become addicted to it._

_With every dip of Rachel’s tongue in her or plush lips sucking on her clit, the closer Max got to tipping over the edge and the harder it was for her to maintain a kiss with Chloe who had given up on holding back and had shoved her hand down her pants to rub small and fast circles against her clit, needing the friction to not combust on the spot._

_Max wasn’t faring any better, feeling her orgasm out of hand’s reach. The pleasure deep in her belly growing and expanding with every touch until it spilled like water in an overfilled glass. With the last coherent thoughts, Max stretched out her arm in search of Rachel’s hand who felt the brunette’s finger tips brush against hers and swiftly intertwined their fingers together before giving her a reassuring squeeze. Coaxing her to let go._

_This little gesture was all it took for Max to take that leap as she hid her face in the nook of Chloe’s neck who held her tight as she came. Her whole body going stiff one second and pliant as clay the next._

_By the time Max could feel her legs again and calm her breathing, a deep sense of satisfaction had washed over her but was quickly threatening to dissipate because now what? Was she supposed to say or do something?_

_Luckily, her girlfriends didn’t leave her time to overthink the situation because Rachel was making her way up to her by placing light kisses all along her body while Chloe moved aside brown strands of hair that had fallen over her eyes. They were trivial actions yet they helped ground Max to the present, like a string wrapped around her ankle, preventing her from drifting off._

_As Max caught her breath, she glanced to the side to see Rachel kissing Chloe and pushing her to lie down on the bed as the punk unceremoniously discarded her pants, making her eagerness known. The action however, earned her a raised eyebrow from the blonde, evidently amused by the other’s struggle._

_“What? Can you blame me after what I just saw?!” Chloe blurted out as if it wasn’t obvious how incredibly hot that had been._

_“Like you need any excuses to get naked.” Rachel said as she settled on Chloe’s left side, effectively trapping the punk between her and Max who had turned on her side to face them._

_The model could tell that Chloe wasn’t in need for any foreplay from the unconscious undulating shifts of her hips and the taste of urgency in her kiss when she had leaned in to steal one more. She decided to spare her and so took Max’s hand and guided it down, past the punk’s scrunched up top that she was for some reason, unknown to her, still wearing and past taut abdominal muscles to the place she needed it the most._

_Chloe propped herself on her elbows as she bit her lower lip in anticipation, eyes darting frantically between hazel and blue ones, wanting to see what would come next. Hopefully, her and soon._

_With one last smirk, Rachel pushed Max’s hand down so she was cupping Chloe before guiding her movement with practiced ease to touch the punk the way she usually did._

_“Oh fuck.” Chloe cursed under her breath, her head falling back at the sudden rush of feel-good chemicals in her brain._

_At the sound of Chloe's moan, Max’s eyes snapped up from where they had been glued on her and Rachel’s hand to take in flexing abs and arched neck as if the punk was trying to hold back. Just as she was about to lean in and kiss her, she felt her middle finger being pushed by Rachel’s own as they both slipped inside Chloe and slowly dipped into molten heat._

_Max honestly believed that she was burning red when she heard Chloe groan and push down with her hips to take them whole. It was so warm and smooth and Rachel was once more showing her what to do, thrusting in and curling their fingers on every outstroke._

_“She likes it here Max, isn’t that right babe?” Rachel spoke in a velvet voice as she showed the brunette the place that made Chloe’s toes curl in pleasure before removing her finger to allow Max to add her own second._

_“Shit, y-yeah. Keep doing that Max.” The punk said in a strained voice as she locked eyes with the photographer who was abruptly overcome with a new sense of purpose and yes, a hint of satisfaction that she was one of the reasons Chloe had that look of pleasure painted all over her face._

_The punk could feel her orgasm approaching alarmingly fast and just as she was going to ask for that extra little push, Rachel started rubbing small circles on her clit and leaned down for a kiss, tongue swiping against hers._

_That’s when it hit her, and Chloe knew she was a goner because she could fucking_ taste _Max on Rachel and it was all too much. The double assault, the kiss, Max on Rachel’s tongue. She felt like she’d been fine tuned for hours and now she had reached the breaking point. Her body seized up, breath catching in her throat as she came hard around the brunette’s fingers. Max could feel her flutter around her and yeah, she_ definitely _wanted to feel that again._

_By now Rachel was hanging on by the threads, her underwear completely soaked through and if she didn’t get fucked fast and hard right now, she was sure she’d lose her goddamn mind. Every movement she made to swap positions with Chloe was a painful reminder of how terribly turned on she was and she prayed that the punk had recovered so she could give her a hand with the very prominent ache between her legs._

_“Max, babe come here.” She said as she rested her back on the headboard and motioned for the brunette to come to her. “You did so well.” The blonde’s word brushed against Max’s lips as Rachel sealed them together in a tender kiss._

_Chloe had already taken her position between her spread legs and Rachel gasped into the kiss with Max when she felt the familiar pattern the punk always started with when eating her out. Chloe could tell how much Rachel needed it fast and hard because her legs were trembling from holding back for so long and her fist was knuckle white while holding the sheets._

_So, she gave her just that. Adding two fingers, she started fucking her fast and hard while sucking on her clit. This time, Rachel had to actually break the kiss as she cried out cause_ fuck _she needed this so bad, a sense of satisfaction coursing through her at finally get some much-needed attention, but most importantly she loved Chloe all the more for knowing exactly what it was she wanted without asking her for it._

_Max’s brain short circuited for probably the hundredth time this night as she tried to process what was undeniably the most intense display she had laid eyes on. Rachel sitting on the bed, legs bent and spread as her body oscillated back and forth from Chloe’s harsh thrusts. One hand holding onto blue tufts of hair, the other grasping onto bed sheets for dear life._

_Once again, Max was torn between not knowing if she should intervene and wanting to contribute in any way she could all the while Rachel was becoming more and more incapable of speech._

_Her hesitation however, evaporated the instant the blonde gave her a heated look, lips parted and body flushed and an inexorable urge struck her to bring their lips together in a burning kiss before trailing her tongue down the model’s neck and without thinking too much or else she might get cold feet, taking a nipple in her mouth._

_Rachel’s response was instantaneous._

_“Max! God, yes!” She cried out in pleasure as the hand that was holding onto blue tufts flew up to brown strands instead._

_Point one for Max. The brunette seemed to feed off the encouragement as she continued to kiss and slightly graze her teeth over the erect bud with more confident moves while playing with the other one in her hand._

_Chloe could feel the moment Max took Rachel’s nipple in her mouth cause the blonde bore down on her fingers and the punk for a moment believed she had died and gone to heaven because what she was experiencing was surreal._

_The photographer’s initiative had been the last little shove Rachel had needed to freefall over the edge. If she was being honest, she had absolutely no idea for how long she came. It could have been seconds it could have been minutes, all she was aware of in those blissful moments was her hand holding tightly onto Max’s hair and Chloe between her legs, drawing out her orgasm for as long as possible._

_“That was…” Max began to say when Rachel opened her eyes again._

_“Hella…” Chloe continued between deep breaths._

_“Intense…” Rachel finished, pushing her hair to the side before looking at Max who had grabbed a discarded t-shirt and put it on feeling slightly cold and a bit exposed._

_“How are you love? I-um I know we might have gotten a bit carried away at the end there…” She said giving a side glance to Chloe who was now kneeling in front of them and anxiously chewing the inside of her mouth. Rachel was worried that she might have made Max uncomfortable when she had slipped and given in to the moment from seeing how the brunette had hastily covered herself up._

_Max saw them both looking concerned and eyeing the fabric she put on and wanted to quickly clear the air._

_“Rachel, Chloe, I am honestly fine. More than fine really. I feel….” She trailed off trying to find the best word to describe what she was feeling exactly as her cheeks burned. There were a myriad of emotions flying around in her head right now but one outshone the rest. Love, like none she had ever experienced before._

_“This might sound stupid and potentially cringe worthy, but I feel…_ closer _to both of you in some way. I don’t know if that makes any sense.”_

_“I think I understand.” Rachel said as she moved closer to the brunette and held her hand. “We just didn’t want to go too fast or make you uncomfortable.”_

_“And I appreciate that, I really do but you don’t have to worry…I-um-felt a lot of things but uncomfortable wasn’t one of them…” Max mumbled, averting her gaze. She had been a bit scared at first yes, but she couldn’t have asked for a better first time. She felt taken care of and loved even if such a word hadn’t been spoken yet._

_“Well I, for one, am willing to sacrifice myself and go again for as long as you need. To ease you into it of course. No ulterior motive.” Chloe joked trying to lighten the mood but in reality, a huge wave of relief washed over her and she felt a sense of gratification and privilege that Max had trusted them enough to go through with it._

_Max rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the swoop of her stomach upon hearing Chloe’s offer, her carefree attitude relaxing her even more._

_“So altruistic of you.” Rachel commented and smiled when she heard Max and Chloe chuckle._

_“As tempting as that sounds Chlo, I think I’m tapping out for tonight.” The photographer spoke in a sleep-heavy voice. The whole experience, as much fun and fulfilling as it had been, had drained her physically and emotionally and she was ready to fall into Morpheus’s arms._

_“Whatever you need babe.” Chloe gave her a genuine smile before pressing a small kiss on her forehead._

_That night, the three fell asleep together in a bundle of intertwined limbs and scattered blankets with Max finding herself between Rachel and Chloe, her eyes feeling heavy by the minute, as she drifted off surrounded by two bodies that warmed her heart._

The sound of a notification going off on her phone woke Max from her reverie, startling her and making her realise that she had been daydreaming for way too long when her eyes fell on the time.

The text was from Rachel, saying that she was in the neighbourhood for a photoshoot at a nearby hotel that was used for the setting of the shoot and that if Max wanted, she could pass by her office so they could head home together.

The brunette bit her lower lip as she considered her options. Today had been a slow day and her absentmindedness hadn’t really incentivised her to be more productive. Maybe she could leave thirty minutes earlier and go surprise Rachel at the hotel instead of spinning around in her chair, waiting for the minutes to trickle by. Absenteeism; Chloe would be proud.

Mind made up, Max switched off her work computer, grabbed her messenger bag and made her way to the nearest bus stop. Thankfully, the hotel wasn’t too far so she would make it before Rachel texted her again asking where she was.

Fifteen minutes later, the young photographer was entering the lobby of an impeccably clean and _very_ expensive looking hotel. The marble floors mirrored the chandelier that hung above her head, lighting the place with its warm hue. To her left was a cosy looking sitting area with leather couches and armchairs where people could bide their time while their rooms were being prepared or, in Max’s case, wait for someone.

After scrolling on her phone for a few minutes, Max’s attention was caught by the sound of a succession of quick steps. Without moving her head, the brunette looked up to see a woman that was clearly the photographer judging by the two cameras hanging around her neck and a man who she guessed had to be an assistant of sorts, walk across the lobby with someone else between them.

That’s when Max felt her jaw might drop to the floor like some kind of cartoon character when her eyes landed on Rachel. It wasn't like she was wearing something high couture or provocative. In fact, it was the exact opposite, yet it had the same if not a bigger effect on her.

Rachel’s hair was styled to the side and let loose, waves of honey blonde falling over a wine-red crop top. The waist-high faded black jeans she wore hugged her figure perfectly and the black heeled boots made her stick out even more. Of course, her makeup was spot-on, matching the colour combination of her outfit. Max honestly believed that no one should be allowed to look _this_ good in red. It didn’t come as a surprise to her that half the lobby had either side-glanced or just downright turned their head to stare at the model who walked like she owned the room. 

The brunette quickly got up and strode towards her girlfriend before calling out to her, not wanting to have to shout and draw the attention on her.

“Max! What are you doing here? I was about to call you.” Rachel’s surprised face morphed into a softer one upon seeing the younger after telling the two people she was with that she would be with them in a minute.

“I um-“ Max cleared her throat as she tried to remember how sentences were formed. “I thought I would surprise you instead.”

“Well, I do love me some surprises. Especially when they come in the form of cute brunettes.” Rachel couldn’t conceal her small smirk at the light blush appearing on her girlfriend’s face. What she found most amusing however, was how Max was constantly darting her eyes to her lips but never made any move to come closer. “You can kiss me you know.” The blonde stepped into the other’s personal space, lips caught in a smile.

“I didn’t want to ruin your makeup.” The photographer explained feeling flustered under Rachel’s knowing gaze. It wasn’t a lie. She honestly didn’t want to mess it up but also she wasn’t sure if it would be okay to kiss her with Rachel’s co-workers a few feet away. Despite all that, her nervousness vanished instantly when she felt a pair of red lips on hers.

Max sighed into the kiss, her hand coming up to land on the blonde’s arm. Max wasn’t entirely sure what overtook her then as she brought her hand up to rest on her girlfriend's neck and pressed in harder, deepening the kiss seeing how a few seconds ago she had been hesitant to even initiate it. Maybe it was because she now felt more confident after having slept together, like the field had been cleared of the mines and none of them had to tiptoe around each other.

If Rachel was surprised by the initiative, she didn’t show it once she pulled back. 

“You’re too adorable for your own good.” Rachel pecked her cheek before adding. “I’ll go change real quick and then we can go grab a coffee. What do you say?”

“You got me at coffee.”

Half an hour later, the two were sitting at a small coffee shop Max frequented, tucked away in a hidden street. Rachel had in the end changed her mind and ordered a red fruit smoothie while Max stayed faithful to her cup of coffee but had given in to the temptation and ordered a chocolate chip muffin as well which she had been eyeing since the moment she had spotted it on a cake stand under a glass dome.

“I’m used to people’s eyes on me when working Max, but what’s your excuse?” Rachel joked when she noticed a pair of deep blue eyes trained on her.

“Nothing, I just like looking at you.”

“Thanks, but let’s try that again.” The blonde prompted, sensing that there was more to the story.

“I just- I still have trouble believing that all this worked out.” She gestured vaguely. “This timeline, us. I guess I always worried that you might… hate me for how I had left things with Chloe when I moved to Seattle…” Max confessed, slightly tensing up at having revealed what was on her mind.

Rachel’s face changed to a more serious expression as she closely examined her girlfriend.

“I’m going to be totally honest with you Max. When I first heard what happened I was angry, and I truly believed that Chloe was better off without you.” Rachel despised admitting it, hated seeing the hurt swimming behind those blue eyes but she wasn’t about to lie either. Not to Max. Back then she was obdurate and wouldn’t even consider examining the other side of the coin. That’s why she had clicked with Chloe so well, why she believed they were invincible.

“Look, I’m not going to sit and pretend to understand what it was like for both of you or why you did what you did. Hell, who knows what I would have done in your situation. Probably something rash…” Rachel sighed, thinking back at some of her not so glamorous outbursts. “But then I met you, the _real_ you. Not some distorted image of you that I had conjured up and you proved me wrong in the best way possible.” She said while placing her hand over Max’s who was struggling to figure out how to respond.

“What I’m trying to say is, I’m glad you’re here with us.” Rachel beat her to it.

“Me too. I feel like I can finally relax and I don’t need to be looking over my shoulder with every big decision I make, fearing that I might alter something.” The photographer smiled, feeling her chest decompress from all the weight that had accumulated without her realising it until they started talking. 

“Don’t get me started on that. I sometimes still have a hard time believing that you can reverse time! By the way, if Chloe is your sidekick, does that make me the Jane to your Spider-man?”

“Rachel! Did you just pull out a geek card? I am so proud!” Max feigned wiping tears from her eyes.

“It’s hard not to pick up a thing or two, especially whenever you geek out.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s cute.” Rachel smiled as she lifted her hand and placed it on the brunette’s cheek to clean some muffin crumbles from the side of her mouth.

“Please don’t tell me I have chocolate all over me!” Max immediately grabbed a napkin to wipe her lips in case some still lingered on.

“Just a bit.”

“And you didn’t say anything all this time?!” She frowned at her chuckling girlfriend.

“Like I said, cute.” Rachel asserted as she leaned in to peck the photographer on the cheek and surreptitiously steal a piece of muffin.

“Don’t think I didn’t see that.” Max pointed out but nevertheless couldn’t hold back a smile when the model shrugged at the jab.

“What do you say we hit the shops for the next part of our date?”

“Oh so this is now a date?”

“Of course it is!” Rachel said as if stating the obvious while she started getting her things ready. 

“Sure, why not! I guess I could do with a new set of clothes.” Max looked at the faded black tee with a moth print she was wearing.

“Correction babe, you can _always_ do with a new set.”

The brunette rolled her eyes at the blonde’s comment but still let herself be pulled by the hand, out of the coffee shop and towards the stores. Rachel’s excitement about fashion knew no boundaries and Max simply swam along the current.

“We should get back before dinner though because our Grump Lord will get extra… grumpy.” Max advised.

“I’m sure she’ll survive if she waits one more hour.” Rachel turned her head to face Max who was behind her and the brunette found that she couldn’t argue one bit, especially not when Rachel was giving her such a bright smile.

It seemed the day wouldn’t be so unproductive after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I hadn't planned on writing their first time but wise beta is wise and suggested I do. And I'm glad I listened! Cause it was fun and interesting to think how it would happen and what obstacles the three would have to overcome to get to that place of understanding and feeling comfortable around each other.  
> See ya in the next one :D


	3. Break out the L-word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May I interest you in a mushy and fluff-filled chapter?

Max was sitting on one of the stools around the kitchen island, resting on her elbows as she read her emails from her phone. Just as she finished answering one, she heard the keys turn and in walked Chloe. The punk was still wearing her dirty clothes from the garage and had a small black smudge on her nose.

“Hey babe! Come give me a hug.” Chloe said once she put down her things and moved towards Max with outstretched arms, striding up to her to catch her in a tight embrace.

“Oh hell no!” Max shouted and jumped off the stool, quickly making a run for the couch to put some distance between them when she saw the state Chloe was in.

“Come love me!” Chloe said again with a playful smile catching the side of her mouth as she now walked more carefully, like a predator, towards Max.

“I will love you once you’ve had a shower!” Max circled the couch as the punk attempted to come closer.

“Aw come on Max! Come get down ‘n dirty with me!” She winked at her flustered girlfriend who for a moment seemed to be reconsidering.

“As tempting as that sounds, I think I’ll pass for now.”

“Fine, fine. Your loss.” Chloe raised her arms up as a sign of submission. Max should have known better. She knew Chloe wouldn’t have yielded that easily yet she let her guard done and the moment she turned her back to go back to answering her emails, Chloe leaped over the couch and grabbed her by the waist, turning her around and hugging Max before planning a big kiss on her lips.

“Chloe!” Max protested but didn’t hide her smile. She just couldn’t get mad at her girlfriend.

“Rookie mistake Max. I thought I’d taught you better than that.” Chloe kissed her on the cheek. “Now, I will go for that shower.” She said as she left a glaring Max to get back to her emails.

By the time Chloe came out of the bathroom, Max was back in her seat writing an email about a freelance job. She was concentrating on reading and didn’t pay much attention to her girlfriend who slowly walked up behind her, bringing her arms around the brunette’s mid-section and resting her head on Max’s shoulder.

“Whatcha doin’?” Chloe asked as she looked down to see Max typing.

“Answering an email.” Max answered, ignoring the little jump her heart made every time Chloe held her this way.

“You’re not done for the day?” Chloe inquired, ghosting her lips against the photographer’s exposed neck, making sure her breath caressed the skin there. Max bit her lip and fought down a shiver when Chloe moved up to kiss just under her ear.

“You are very distracting.”

“ _Or_ you’re not focusing hard enough.” Chloe challenged her.

Max let out a heavy sigh. When Chloe was in a playful mood it became almost impossible to concentrate on anything else, but she wasn’t going to give up that easily.

The punk continued to kiss Max’s neck, nibbling her skin every now and then while her arms held the photographer closer. Chloe breathed in the brunette’s skin, a mixture of clean soap and what was Max evading her senses. The punk felt intoxicated by the scent, like she needed more of it. Chloe started placing open mouthed kisses and grinning to herself when Max unconsciously slightly tilted her head to the left to give her more access.

“I really need to answer this.” Max tried but she knew Chloe wouldn’t stop and honestly, she didn’t want her to.

“Then do it.” Chloe said in a deep voice before biting down on a spot close to the back of Max’s neck that she knew was one of her weak spots and nearly purred in satisfaction when she heard her girlfriend let out a small gasp.

Max couldn’t help herself when she jolted upright. She had miss typed half of the sentence and nearly pressed sent before she dropped her phone on the floor, because dear Lord Chloe wasn’t playing fair.

“Oh shit! Sorry.” Chloe backed up immediately and kneeled to the floor to pick up the phone, feeling a bit bad. Thankfully, the screen was still intact.

“You’re infuriating sometimes Chlo. Consider yourself lucky I love you so much. It’s the only reason I don’t flush out your stash of weed. That, and Rachel would have my ass.”

At the sound of those three little words, Chloe’s head bolted upright.

“You what?!” she blurted out as she stared at Max, infatuated. 

“I was just joking…or was I?”

“Not that you idiot. You love me?”

Turn, turn aaand click. Max turned red when the words registered. 

“I-I aaah... Fuck it. Yes, I love you Price. I should have said it earlier even.”

Chloe beamed at Max, who could have sworn that the punk’s smile was brighter than the sun.

“I love you too Max!” She said and grabbed Max, hoisting her up in her arms and covering her face in kisses before pressing their lips together. It was sweet and tender and Max couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this happy. 

Both women couldn’t stop smiling, feeling like teens all over again who had just shared their first kiss. 

It was then that Rachel walked in on them, having come back from her regular jog. Phone in one hand, water bottle in the other. 

“Well aren’t you both in a good mood. What did I miss?”

Chloe and Max shared a look. Cheeks turning a soft pink as they tried to silently decide who would talk first. 

“Well?” Rachel prompted.

“I may or may not have confessed some stuff and-“ Max began.

“And some feelings were admitted.” Chloe continued, casting an upward glance to see Rachel examining them with a knowing look in her eyes.

“Yeah… love related feelings…” Max went on awkwardly. 

“I think she got that part Max.” Chloe jested, not fully knowing why they were both being so dodgy about the subject. 

“About time!” Rachel said enthusiastically. 

“You’re not upset?” Chloe asked, a bit worried.

“Chloe, babe, of course not. We’re all together now. These feelings are bound to surface at some point.” 

Chloe smiled as her expression softened, like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. 

“Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I need to take a shower and then call one of our friends and see who will let me crash at theirs tonight.”

“Why? Did we do something?” Max looked at Chloe in confusion and worry, fearing that they had messed up.

“No, love, relax! You two need some time alone. You need to talk. And maybe do a bit more than _just_ talking…” Rachel said, one eyebrow raising playfully.

“Ohmygod…” Max mumbled while hiding her face in her hands.

“Rachel…Are you sure? I don’t want you thinking we don’t want you.” Chloe went up to the blonde, eyes searching for affirmation. 

“Babe. I am the one offering. You both need this. Besides…next time I’ll have Max all to myself.” She winked at a crimson Max before kissing Chloe and disappearing into the bathroom. 

Half an hour had passed since Rachel had left for their friend’s place. Chloe was sitting on the couch with Max, body turned to face the other as her arm rested on the top of the backrest. She could see the brunette was squirming uncomfortably in her seat. Why was this so weird? Max was her best friend, her girlfriend. They had known each other for years and yet here they sat. Not knowing how to start. 

“We’re being hella lame about this.”

“We are total idiots, but I think Rachel was right. We should talk.” Max said as she looked up at Chloe. “Don’t get me wrong, I regret none of the decisions we made. This is the happiest I’ve been, but I still need to get some things off my chest.”

“Good, because I need that too.” Chloe nodded in agreement. 

“You start. I insist.” Max said when Chloe had gestured for her to start speaking. 

Chloe chewed the inside of her mouth, brow creasing as she considered her next words carefully. 

“Max, when you left at the time my… my dad died, I was so angry. At you, at the world. A part of me was still angry and wanted to remain that way when I saw you again in Arcadia for the first time. Believe me I am still trying to deal with some anger issues but knowing I can now count on you and Rachel has helped keep me steady when I feel like I am slipping. What I’m trying to say is…” Chloe took a moment to gather her thoughts. Her mind was swarming with confusing emotions all tangled up. She was learning to express herself by talking and not bursting out of the house when someone hurt her feelings.

“What I’m trying to say is, Max all that shit is now in the past. We’ve all made mistakes. I have never felt so at ease in my entire life. Like things are actually looking up and that I am not a failure. Rachel and you helped me see that. Made me experience it. Max, I always have and always will love you.”

Max could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes. Her heart was doing somersaults in her chest. 

“I love you too Chlo. I sometimes find it hard to put it into words. I know I’ve messed up even when I thought I was trying to help. I don’t want you to think that I came here with the intention of turning your life upside down. To get between you and Rachel. It’s the last thing I would ever want to do.”

“Max, hey. All you ever did was show me love and joy. I would never think that. We are all adults here who chose this. And I don’t regret it one bit.” Chloe said, voice soft and sincere as she took the photographer’s hand in hers. 

“It’s just, I can’t stop thinking what if. What if I could have done something differently? And then I am transported back to the first timeline, back to the Dark Room with Jefferson above me and you dead and I- I’m just so confused.” Max couldn’t hold the tears back anymore. She couldn’t hold in the guilt, suffocating her like two hands around her neck. “Chloe, you were both dead. And had I saved you the entire town would have been destroyed. So many lives, ruined. I couldn’t choose. I was so weak.”

“No Max, you are one of the strongest people I know. You got this fucking power without asking for it, all the weight of so many lives on your shoulders. Fuck that! You did what you thought was best. We are here because of you. Never doubt that for a second.” Chloe said as she wiped Max’s tears away with her thumb.

“All I ever wanted was for you and Rachel to be happy.”

“We are. And we couldn’t be happier with you in our lives.” Chloe leaned in and pressed her lips against the other’s, the lightest of touch, feeling Max’s shivering breath on her. 

Max rested her head against Chloe’s forehead, the kiss was as innocent as it could get but the atmosphere around them had undeniably changed, becoming charged. Like a storm. 

Max returned the kiss with more force, her hand resting on the punk’s nape, squeezing lightly. She felt like her emotions were going to choke her. Was this real? Had she rewound back time and was standing next to the cliff, a storm raging on while she said goodbye to the one person she had literally conjured up a storm to save? 

The fuzzy thoughts were dispelled when Chloe kissed back, swiping her tongue across the young photographers’ lips, asking for permission. Max parted her lips, immediately wanting to taste her, feel her as close as possible. 

It was Chloe who broke the kiss first. Mind hazy with want.

“Max…”Chloe whispered. Trying her best to mask her shaking hands by squeezing Max’s shoulder harder. 

The photographer wouldn’t have heard her name if it wasn’t for their proximity. It resonated inside her, waking up suppressed feelings of want and need.

She didn’t need to say anything. Just nodded and it was all the confirmation Chloe needed to get up, pulling Max along with her and leading them to her room. 

Max was trying her hardest no to freak out as she lay on the bed, willing her nerves to be less tense but to no avail. Despite all that, Chloe’s body on top of her felt comforting and warm as the punk leaned forward, taking her lips again in a delicate kiss almost as if she was afraid she would break her. Chloe's lips were soft on her cheek when she dropped a kiss there before moving downwards, dragging her lips over Max's jawline and down her neck. Reaching out, Chloe took a hold of Max's hand and squeezed tightly before lifting it to her lips, covering it in gentle kisses. Max could have sworn she was floating above clouds.

Chloe sat back and looked down at Max, splaying her fingers on the brunette’s waist before taking hold of her T-shirt. The punk paused briefly to look at Max, silently asking for confirmation. When the photographer nodded, Chloe continued to remove Max’s t-shirt and bra as the brunette leaned forward to help Chloe before lying back down.

This however, left Max feeling a bit exposed, fighting the urge to cover herself when a pair of blue eyes hungrily roamed over her body. Where was all this nervousness coming from? Sure, they had slept together but Rachel had been with them, which had helped distract Max and not overthink things. But this felt different, with just the two of them, almost as if it were their first time and so, Max forced herself to keep eye contact with the pair of blue eyes looking down at her, trailing over pale skin causing her to feel like the tables had turned and she was now the subject under the lens and Chloe the photographer. 

The punk must have noticed her distress from the slight fidgeting of her fingers against the bed sheets and how her skin burst out in goosebumps when Chloe dragged her knuckles across her stomach, all the way up until her hand was resting on Max’s cheek. Chloe kissed her again, trying to reassure her that everything was alright while at the same time attempting to still her own heart. Ever since she could remember, one of the things she loved most about Max had been her freckles, and now she actually had the chance to kiss them, touch them.

Max eased into the kiss. This felt familiar, like home; Chloe’s scent, the way she tasted and the small gasps that escaped her mouth when Max raised her hands to rest them on the punk’s sides and under her shirt, finding purchase on firm muscles that reflexively flexed upon the brunette’s touch.

Under any other circumstances, the photographer would have been content staying like this, with Chloe on top of her and lips firmly pressed together but not this time.

She felt unsatisfied, wanting to feel more of the other against her bare skin and so she tugged at the loose black tank top Chloe was wearing, pulling it over her head and unceremoniously throwing it along with her bra somewhere in the room.

Max was expecting to be met with warmth when Choe's naked body touched hers. What she wasn’t expecting was something cold pressing against her chest, making her gasp aloud at the unexpected coolness.

“Oh my God.” Max blinked, mind screaming at her as the visual stoke a fire between her legs. Sure, as the moon shone outside, there they were, two ring-shaped nipple piercings. “How the hell did I _not_ notice these before?!” she asked, unable to comprehend how she had missed something this important.

“I ask myself the same question. Either I still had my bra on the first time or most likely Rachel was eating you out and you couldn’t tell left from right. Soooo, Max like?” Chloe smirked at her flustered partner.

Max couldn’t answer, so instead of staring like a parched woman stares at a glass of water, she took one nipple in her mouth, tongue running over steel before gently sucking on it.

“Mmm I’ll take that as a yes.” Chloe moaned. The sensation was so good she had unconsciously started gyrating her hips against Max’s thigh, biting her lip to fight back a groan. Max looked up from where she was busy laying kisses across tender skin, locking eyes with the punk before lifting her leg a bit to give Chloe better leverage to grind down on.

Chloe didn’t hold back her grin as she tilted her head back and rolled her hips. However, it wasn’t nearly close to what she truly wanted and so she leaned in and kissed Max again, pushing her back onto the bed before making her way down, leaving a trail of blazing hot kisses in her wake until she reached the other’s jeans and paused. The punk looked up at a flushed Max, as her fingers dipped under the waistband but never going further, not until Max told her it was fine and lifted her hips to aid the punk who removed her jeans and underwear, which joined the rest of the clothes on the floor. 

Chloe’s mouth went dry at the sight below her, heart pounding in her chest, feeling intoxicated. Pale blue eyes drifted over skin scattered with rusty hue dots and an undeniable blush resting on Max’s cheeks.

The punk decided to not let another minute get between her and what she truly desired which was to taste Max. The thought alone was enough to have her throbbing, but she resisted the urge to shove her hand down her pants. She wanted to focus on Max. 

The punk closed her eyes as she kissed her way down the photographer’s body to her right inner thigh, while long fingers brushed against Max’s left leg, causing the hair at the back of her neck to bristle as a response. When the punk opened her eyes again, she halted, needing a minute to collect her thoughts. She needed to be certain that they weren’t going too fast and that Max was still okay with this. There was no room for fucking this up. 

“Are you sure?” she asked one last time, voice hoarse from arousal.

“Yes, Chloe. _Please_.” Max said, sounding impatient even though she turned her head to the side, unable to maintain eye contact.

Chloe swallowed hard at hearing the plea. Fingers digging in smooth skin as she felt like someone had just poured lighter fuel to the already burning fire inside her. The irrational side of her screamed at her to go fast and hard but she knew she couldn’t, not tonight.

The punk lowered herself between Max’s legs and placed her hands on the brunette’s thighs to hold her down. God, Chloe didn’t even need to touch to know how _wet_ Max was, all she wanted to do was taste and so she did, realising nothing was holding her back from doing so. She started off slow, tongue passing over wet folds in broad strokes. Taking her time as she tasted Max, revelling in how her partner twitched under the skilful swipes of her tongue.

Max hissed at the feeling, cheeks burning red. She didn’t know at what point her brain had stopped functioning properly. Was it before Chloe sunk her tongue in her or when it passed over her clit? She couldn’t really tell and frankly didn’t care, especially when Chloe sucked hard at the sensitive bud causing Max’s hand to fly out and grab her hair, tugging lightly. The punk purred in pleasure at the feeling which made the brunette’s hip buckle, enjoying every minute of it until she felt Chloe withdrawing.

 _No.No.No_ Max thought but didn’t voice it. She was desperate but wasn’t going to show it to Chloe and give her the satisfaction.

Chloe had redrawn so she could suck on her middle and ring fingers, coating them with saliva as much as possible before tracing her middle finger around Max’s entrance. Slowly but steadily she pushed it in, hearing Max gasp above her. She gave her some time to adjust before adding her ring finger as well and pushed until she was in knuckle-deep.

Max was biting her lips, trying to contain as much of her voice as she could. It appeared to be an impossible task when Chloe started curling her fingers. Pressing on her inner walls and making her mind go blank.

Chloe wasn’t in a better state. Max felt so good around her fingers and her taste lingering in her mouth which only served as a reminder to how extremely turned on she was. To alleviated some of the tension that churned low in her belly, she had started rolling her hips and pressing hard against the mattress in search for any form of friction. But despite her best efforts, it simply wasn’t enough.

“Chloe, oh God, I’m close.” Max cried out when Chloe sucked on her clit and pressed with her fingers a particularly sensitive spot inside her. The photographer couldn’t believe how fast she was nearing the edge.

In any other case this would have fuelled Chloe to go faster, however, not tonight. She wanted to take it slow and be close to Max, kiss her and hold her tight as she came close to release and so she pulled away, sitting up and removing the remainder of her clothes as she heard the brunette groan in protest and almost whimper at the loss of Chloe’s fingers.

“Chloe?” Max asked short of breath and feeling a bit frustrated at having her pleasure be cut short once more. 

“Sorry, It’s just…I want you close.” Chloe said with a hint of red on her cheeks when she crawled back onto the bed.

Max’s face seemed to light up at seeing the other blush. She moved towards Chloe and placed her right leg under Chloe’s left and her left leg over the punk’s right leg. Sure, tribbing wasn’t the most stimulating of positions but it gave them the proximity they wanted at the moment. Both women held onto each other as they started moving again, moans dripping out of their mouth at the raw feel of it.

Max held onto a handful of blue locks as Chloe’s fingers were digging nails into her back. The brunette kissed her again, tongue passing over the upper lip before dipping in to taste the other, tasting herself on Chloe’s tongue.

 _Fuck_. She was so close yet so frustratingly out of reach from the orgasm she was desperately chasing behind because this wasn’t enough. She wanted to be able to look at Chloe when she came, to share the experience with her. And so, she found her voice.

“Look at me Chloe.” Max said, determined to get what she wanted.

Chloe’s eyes shot open. Light blue orbs staring right at her, enthralled. 

“I love you.” Is all Max managed to say before Chloe’s hand reached between them and started rubbing her clit in fast circular motions. It was as if all of Max’s prayers were answered, the extra pressure was heaven sent. Her whole body tensed up and trembled as she tipped over the edge a few seconds later.

Chloe held her tight, pulling her down while rolling her hips as the punk attempted to prolong her orgasm while more moans spilled from the brunette.

“Max _. Fuck_.” Chloe could feel her own orgasm approach as well. At the sound of her name, Max pushed aside a few strands of blue hair and tucked them behind Chloe’s ear, freeing her face so she could kiss her again, encouraging her. All it took was a few more downward rolls from Max directly on her clit to do it for Chloe. Hips bucking as she came, head spinning in a pool of euphoria.

When their bodies came to a gradual halt, the two collapsed on the bed, short of breath.

“Wowser.” Max said, blinking the haze away from her eyes as she stared at the ceiling.

“Really dude?” Chloe chuckled and laid a kiss on Max’s head.

“Oh, bite me!”

“Next time.” She replied while nibbling on the brunette’s ear causing the cutest giggle to escape the photographer which made Chloe’s heart clench in adoration. 

A comfortable silence enveloped them and for a while the only sound that could be heard in the room was the steady flow of breaths. Max had moved to rest her head against Chloe’s chest, the sound of a strong heart beating flooding her ears. 

“I won’t lie. This feels kind of surreal.” Max said, breaking the silence.

“Mmm. It’s weird. But in the best way possible!” she hurried to add. _Ugh great save there Chloe_ the blue haired woman thought to herself. “You won’t rewind time right?” she added, trying to mask some of her insecurity.

Max looked up from where she was resting her head on the other’s chest. 

“No, of course not! Why would I ever do that?”

Chloe shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “I don’t know. I guess I was afraid you would regret it.”

Max moved up, resting her weight on her elbow, to fully look at Chloe.

“Chloe, I would never do that. I love you and I want to live in the present, not in the past. I’m done with that.”

Max’s words seemed to assuage Chloe. “I love you too Max. So much.” Chloe said and wrapped her arms around the brunette, bringing them close. 

“Well I guess there goes my resolution…” Chloe spoke again, leaving the statement to float in the air.

Max eyed her suspiciously. She could see Chloe was back to her cheerful self. She had a bad feeling about this and knew she was going to regret it but asked anyway.

“What resolution?”

“About not eating midnight snacks.” 

“I think all my brain cells auto-combusted. But you did call me a snack, so forgiven.” Max said as Chloe laughed, feeling her laughter vibrate against her skin. 

“Now that you mention it, what time is it?”

Chloe moved to the side of her bed to check her phone.

“Huh, would you look at that. It’s not even midnight. It’s only 22:00.”

“Really? No wonder I don’t feel like sleeping.”

“Have something in mind?” Chloe asked, wiggling her eyebrows playfully. 

Max chuckled as she shoved her gently on the shoulder.

“How about a shower. And then maybe we can huddle up in bed and watch something?” 

“Your wish is my command.” Chloe bowed her head in a comical way. 

Both women had gotten out of bed eventually and headed for the shower that lasted more time than expected because Chloe had decided she would be joining Max. A bit later they were wrapped up in a light blanket and were binge watching a new show. 

Max had trouble concentrating on the show. Her mind replaying the night's events, enjoying Chloe’s presence next to her. She couldn’t help but smile, feeling all giddy. 

“Do you want me to play some porn?” Chloe’s voice brought her back to the present.

“Yes… No, wait what?!” Max looked at Chloe who was grinning like an idiot. 

“And she’s back ladies and gentlemen.” The punk joked. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.” 

“Uh huh. Was it me you were dreaming about?” Chloe nudged her jokingly. 

Max glared at the blue haired punk next to her before her answer came in the form of a pillow, flying to hit Chloe in the face. 

“Oh you are _so_ dead!” Chloe declared and immediately threw the pillow back and jumped on Max launching a full-on tickle attack. 

Max screamed and laughed, trying to fight back, nearly kicking the laptop off the bed in the process. 

“I yield! I yield!” Max shouted out of breath, tears of laughter blurring her vision. 

“Ah, sweet victory!” Chloe sighed as she lay next to a yawning Max, relishing in her win. 

“I am officially tired now.” Max stated as she stretched and felt sleep knocking on her door. 

“Under the covers you go then.” Chloe said before taking the laptop and placing it on her desk. 

Max obeyed and crept under the covers, feeling sluggish but she hummed in delight when Chloe got back in bed and wrapped her arm around her waist. 

“I love you.” Chloe murmured behind her as she nuzzled her head against brown strands, breathing in the fresh scent of flowers from Max’s shampoo. 

“I love you too.” Max replied, biting her lip and smiling at herself. _Hollyshit, this just happened_ was the last thought that crossed her mind before finally falling asleep in Chloe’s arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say it was gonna be cheesy yet heart-warming, like a nice pot of fondue!


	4. Cracks in the mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope you've been enjoying the story so far :) Just a small heads up for this chapter as it contains a description of a panic attack. Other than that, it's mostly fluff.

“There she is! My favourite photographer.” Rachel greeted as she walked into Max’s room to find the brunette lazily scrolling through her phone in bed, trying to postpone as much as she could to work on some photos. 

“Am I now?” Max asked, eyebrow quirked in disbelief.

“Totally!” Rachel’s lips caught in a sideway smile. 

“I know that smile. What do you want?” 

“You wound me Max. Can’t a girl compliment her talented girlfriend?”

Max shot her a look that said it all. She wasn’t buying it.

“Well I was thinking…Since you are a photographer, an extremely good one might I add, and I America’s Next Top Model, how about we have a little photoshoot of our own?”

“Wow there honey, don’t sell yourself short.”

“I would never! So, what do you say?”

“You know I don’t really do modelling shoots.” Max said, putting her phone down to look at her girlfriend. 

“Well then, it’s the perfect opportunity for you to practice. Come on babe!” Rachel endeared her with her charm and proceeded to tug Max’s arm to get her out of bed. 

Max seemed to consider her options. It wasn’t what she normally did but this could be a great chance to get some nice shots, maybe add some to her portfolio and the perfect excuse she was searching for to justify her procrastination. Plus, it was really hard to refuse Rachel when she was gleaming in anticipation. 

“Alright, let me just grab my things.” Max huffed, letting herself be pulled by the blonde. 

“Yes! You’re the best!” Rachel said and gave Max a light kiss on the lips.

“I try.” The photographer answered in a nonchalant voice before grinning. 

It was the afternoon and the sun shone bright above them as the two girls arrived at the nearest park, neither wanting to stay inside for the photoshoot on such a beautiful day. 

“Okay Max, how do you want me?” Rachel smirked as she placed her bag under the shade of a tree, making sure Max caught on the double entendre. 

“How do I…Rachel!” Max cried out after the remark registered in her brain, hues of pink on her cheeks. 

“I’m just messing with you. You direct. I follow.” Rachel chuckled at the adorable reaction of her girlfriend.

Max took out her new Canon; a very generous gift for her graduation from her parents and Joyce, who had wanted to participate and would not have it any other way.

After looking at her surroundings, the young photographer had decided to start the photoshoot by a spot close to a palm tree, taking a few experimental shots and adjusting the settings. When she was satisfied with the outcome, she started directing Rachel. This wasn’t usually her cup of tea. She didn’t like directing people but was more interested in capturing candid moments. She also had a great eye for lighting and so moved Rachel around to capture as many flattering pictures as possible. 

Rachel was a natural at this and Max had no difficulty in working with her. She was actually having fun, enjoying the time with her girlfriend who, on most occasions took her breath away, especially when Max paused to inspect a close up of a picture. Hazel eyes switching from a soft to an intense gaze within seconds. 

“Okay, beautiful. Now, stand against that tree and look directly into the camera.” Max said in a firm voice as she guided the model. 

“You’re really hot when you’re so assertive.” Rachel spoke in a playful tone, unable to constrain herself from poking fun at the other, wanting to see that cute blush again. However what she got made her stomach swoop in excitement. 

“Continue with the teasing and I’ll show you just how assertive I can be.” Max fired back, locking eyes with the blonde. Feeling more confident and wanting to get back at the model for all the teasing. 

“Is that a promise?” Rachel smirked, quickly regaining her composure. 

“Yes. And you know I don’t break my promises.” Max replied, loving the reactions she was drawing from Rachel who was biting her red-stained lips and grinning. 

“You know, we could continue with a more…private shoot at home.” Rachel proposed as she strode over to the young photographer until their faces were only a few inches apart. 

Max stood there, flushed red at the images that had popped in her head making her feel hot-and-bothered. How the hell had Chloe put up with Rachel’s strong advances for so long? No wonder even the punk got flustered. And that was saying a lot, for someone as brazen and flirty as Chloe.

“You’re insufferable.” Max finally managed to say, eyes still locked on Rachel’s lush pair of lips. 

“Oh please. Like you’ve never thought about it.”

“No-I…” Max was quelled by Rachel’s “Really now?” look. Okay fine she had. 

“That’s what I thought.” Rachel answered, leaning in and kissing Max who sighed into the kiss before returning it with more force. 

When they parted Rachel giggled at the sight of Max, who had a tint of bordeaux smudged across her lips.

“You got lipstick all over you.” She said as she pressed her thumb against the other’s lips and attempted to wipe them clean, only getting some off.

Max’s brain may have short-circuited at that moment, but she kept her cool, a task which was proving to be all the more difficult as time passed by. 

“T-thanks.” She cleared her throat. “Shall we get going?” 

“Not before we take a few pictures together.” 

At that, Max’s face lit up and rushed to get her polaroid out of her bag. What followed next was pure madness as both girls unleashed their love for photography and took so many pictures that Max ran out of film. 

“Oh man! I’m out.” Max pouted, disappointment filling her to have their fun cut short.

“God you’re so cute!” Rachel felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of a pouting Max. “We’ll stop by a store on the way back and I’ll get you some more.”

“No, you don’t have to!” Max said as she packed her things and started towards the entrance of the park with Rachel by her side, fingers interlocked together. 

“Of course I do, I was the one that dragged you out in the first place.”

“And I am glad you did. It was so much fun. Thanks Rachel.” Max said and planted a small kiss on the blonde’s cheek. 

By the time they got home, Chloe had returned form work as well, greeting them from the couch she lay on, smoking. 

“So what was it? Hipster coffee shop or browsing make up for hours on end?” Chloe teased as she sat up and put out her cigarette.

“First of all, we agreed you wouldn’t smoke in the house. Secondly, none of the above. You do realise we have more than one interest right? Unlike you…” Max answered as she walked up and placed a kiss on Chloe’s head to show she wasn’t actually upset.

“You weren’t home. And hey! What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Getting high doesn’t count as a hobby Chlo.” Max joked and Rachel laughed out loud before she went and sat on the punk’s lap.

“You too, Brutus?” Chloe exclaimed, jokingly betrayed while wrapping her arms around the blonde to help her balance.

“Can’t argue with Max the Wise.” Rachel smiled at a glaring Chloe.

“Oh I like the sound of that!” Max was heard from the kitchen, where she had gone to get a glass of water.

“So, what’d you do?” Chloe asked again.

“We went to the park and had a little photoshoot.” Rachel responded. “Max, come show us the pictures!” The blonde called out before moving from Chloe’s lap so the young photographer could sit between them.

Max finished drinking her water and got her bag before sitting on the couch. She first showed them the polaroid pictures they had taken before leaving.

Chloe’s eye caught a specific one that showed Max and Rachel with a wide smile looking into the lens. They looked so happy and carefree.

“I’m claiming this one.” She said and quickly took it out of the pile.

“Hey! I wanted to keep that one!” Max protested and tried to take it back but Chloe raised her hand above her head and out of Max's reach, poking out her tongue teasingly.

“Too slow sucker!”

After trying one last time Max gave up, seeing she wasn’t as tall as Chloe to have a fair chance of getting it back and so continued to show them the rest of the pictures from her Canon, the ones with just Rachel.

“These are amazing Super Max. And babe, you look incredible.” Chloe said as she passed the Camera over to Rachel so she could have a look as well.

“Thanks love. Although to be fair it’s hard to take a bad picture of Rachel.” Max retorted.

It was Rachel’s turn to blush at the onslaught of compliments. She had heard people compliment her before but when it was coming from her girlfriends it felt genuine, like they believed every word they said and that filled her with pride and happiness.

“Aw look, you made her blush!” Chloe pointed out. “Max you have officially entered the big-league, not many people can say they succeeded in making Rachel Amber blush!” 

Max cast her eyes on Rachel and couldn’t help but secretly feel pleased with herself. She loved evoking such emotions from her partners, be it subtle or strong.

“Max? These are incredible. When did you take these?” Rachel asked with a hint of awe in her voice, bringing Max back from her thoughts and turning Chloe’s attention back to her. Rachel had scrolled past the pictures of that day’s shoot and was looking at some of the other photos saved on the camera's memory. 

“Uum I’m not really sure, I just take the shot when I see something I like.” Max said, fiddling with her hands as Rachel showed Chloe. 

“Wait, that’s us! I didn’t even realise you took these.” Chloe was looking down on the small screen of the camera. There were a handful of pictures of her and Rachel, either alone or with the two of them together, at different places and times. A smile, a frown, a kiss. Simple expressions and interactions yet the angle and perspective gave more depth to them.

“I’m sorry. I was going to tell you and then forgot. I can delete them if it bothers you.” Max rushed to say.

“No, Max! I absolutely love these shots. You really have a talent for taking simple everyday moments in life and turning them into something special.” Rachel spoke with a voice full of admiration. 

“Rachel is right. You have a gift. And we really don’t mind.” Chloe agreed.

By now Max had turned as red as a beetroot and wanted to bury her face in her hands from all the praise for something she had always struggled with, which was to acknowledge her own potential.

Rachel decided seeing Max blush was her new favourite thing. Red freckled cheeks? How could her heart not melt?

“God, you’re adorable!” Rachel took the photographer in her arms and hugged her tightly.

“I’m not adorable!”  Max's words came out muffled  as her face was pressed against Rachel’s chest.

“The cutest!” Chloe chimed in, not missing out on an opportunity to tease. 

“So, Max. How about that promise you made me?” Rachel said after a moment as she let go of Max, smirk playing at the corner of her mouth and a flirtatious glint in her eyes.

“What’s this promise I hear about?” Chloe asked, interest picked when she observed the sift in Rachel’s mood.

“Max here promised to show me how assertive she can be if I didn’t stop being a tease.” Rachel explained as she breathed on Max’s neck, lips barely touching, just a ghost of a sensation. “And have a more…private shoot.” Rachel continued to pass her lips over the brunette’s neck as if to make a point that she wouldn’t stop teasing.

Max’s breath hitched at the feel of a pair of lips against her, sending a shiver down her spine. Rachel had managed to press all the right buttons which resulted in Max getting turned on instantly.

_ Jesus fucking Christ  _ thought Chloe as she processed what had just been said. These two would definitely be the end of her. The punk took a deep breath in an attempt to steady the ravenous hunger that had suddenly awakened inside her.

“I don’t know Rach, do you think she can manage both of us?” Chloe said with a devilish smile on her face, not wanting to miss out on all the fun. She knew if she played her cards right that she could bring forth the assertive side of Max and so, she gently kissed the other side of the photographer’s neck as her hand trailed up her leg, stopping on her thigh and squeezing.

Max bolted upright. A fire was burning hot inside her and she about had had enough. She knew that neither of the two would stop if she didn’t do something about it.

“Both of you. In bed, right now!” Max ordered with a blazing look in her eyes.

Rachel and Chloe smiled knowingly at each other as they sat up and followed Max into her room. They had succeeded in getting what they wanted out of the brunette. It wasn’t often Max showed this side of her but when she did, they knew that they would be in for a treat.

Max made good on her promise to Rachel that evening, which resulted in the making of some  _ extremely  _ private pictures that would be locked away from anyone else to see other than the three of them.

\-------

About a week had passed since Rachel’s little private photo shoot with her partners and as fun as that had been, now she needed to concentrate because this was the real deal. 

The flash went off, over and over again. It made her eyes burn but she still stood there, unphased. She was used to it by now. The high energy of the set. People constantly passing behind the photographer, next to her, fixing her hair and makeup. She knew the drill, loved the job. Had always been her dream to be here. The thrill of being on set like a drug she couldn’t get clean from. 

It had taken some time to get back on her feet after her traumatic ordeal. For the first couple of years during their time in Arcadia, Rachel could only pose for Max. She had been the only person she felt safe and comfortable with, anything or anybody else had proved to be too much for her to handle even if she pretended like it didn’t have any effect on her. Gradually though, she had gotten back to her old self.

Today however, felt different. There was something about the way she lay on the set that made her uncomfortable. The flashlight seemed brighter than usual. She was a bit lightheaded but gave it no mind, continuing to pose. Rachel sat up from her lying position so she could rest against the wall while the photographer directed her; telling her to lower her knee just a bit more and change her expression to a more intense one. Yes, perfect. 

Rachel could feel her pulse quicken. Was it always so hard to breathe in this room? Was it too hot or too cold? She couldn’t tell.

Click. Flash.

Click. Flash.

The whole room suddenly started to spin like she’d just gotten off a merry-go-round. No, this wasn’t right. Her skin was crawling, a sense of dread slowly creeping up on her and threatening to consume her whole. She could feel a tingling sensation on her wrists and ankles as if she were tied up and despite frantically rubbing her skin with the palm of her hands, the model couldn’t get free from it. 

Rachel started hyperventilating. Heaps of air filled her lungs, but it was never enough, no matter how hard she tried, the air was simply not enough.

“Rachel? Are you okay?” The photographer asked, not hiding his concern when he saw the model’s disoriented look. 

“I-I don’t- I need air. Must leave.” Rachel couldn’t concentrate. Fear getting the best of her, gripping tight, digging its claws deep and not letting go. She nearly jumped out of her skin when one of the assistants came to check on her. She would have lashed out on the poor girl but the last rational part of her brain refrained her form doing so. 

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s me. Can I bring you anything?” the assistant asked, taken aback. 

“No. I need to go.” Rachel slurred. 

The photographer seemed to consider his options before agreeing to let her leave. It was clear the model was in no state to continue.

“Please call or text when you get home. Just to know that you arrived okay.”

Rachel nodded and made a beeline for the dressing rooms. With shaky hands she changed quickly and bolted out of the studio, getting in the first taxi she saw. 

Chloe and Max were sitting on the couch. The punk was doodling away while the brunette was editing a picture when the front door burst open and Rachel flew in.

“Oh hello. We weren’t expecting you for another two hours or so.” Max said surprised, putting her laptop away. 

Chloe had also looked up to greet Rachel but was immediately on high alert when she saw Rachel’s wan face. Something was up. 

“Rach? Are you okay?” The blue haired woman asked in concern as she made her way to the other.

“Y-yes.Fine.” Rachel answered, forcing a smile.

Even Max saw through that weak lie. A few moments later and she was joining Chloe by Rachel’s side.

Chloe wasn’t buying it for a moment. She knew the other too well and could smell the lie a mile away.

“Clearly you’re not. Babe, you’re shaking like a leaf. Did something happen?”

“No. I-“ Rachel cleared her throat. The fear she felt half an hour ago was giving its place to an all-consuming rage that wanted out, no matter the cost. Since that day of her abduction she had had nightmares and panic attacks, but she believed that with time she had learned to control them. Today had proved her wrong. God she was  _ furious _ . Without thinking she let out a cry and threw her bag against the wall, causing a frame that hung there to fall and the glass to shatter. 

Max was caught off guard. Startled, she jumped in her spot. She knew Rachel had a temper, but she had never seen her lash out like this. The same couldn’t be said for Chloe who knew first-hand just how impulsive Rachel could get. 

“Hey, hey. I got you. Sshh.” Chloe was next to her in a matter of seconds, wrapping her arms around the blonde as the other hid her face in the nook of Chloe’s neck. The tears finally trickled down Rachel’s cheeks, unable to hold them back and kneeling on the floor, knees giving in under the exhaustion that followed a panic attack. 

Max was on the floor the next moment, caressing her back in small reassuring circles. 

No one spoke. The only sounds coming from Rachel as she cried from frustration and fear. 

“It happened again. Fucking panic attack. I don’t know why. Everything was fine and then-“ a sob interrupted her speech. 

“It’s okay Rachel, we’ll get through this.” Max tried to reassure her. 

“NO! It’s not okay! How the hell am I supposed to be in this line of work if the flash of a fucking camera sets me off?!”

“You can and will because you are one of the strongest people I know and no one or nothing can get in the way once you’ve set your mind on something.” Chloe said, cradling the blonde’s face in her hands so they locked eyes. 

“I don’t know what to do….” Rachel whispered in a despondent voice. She felt confused and lost. 

“We’ll figure it out. The three of us. And you can also go to someone more qualified to help.” Max suggested in a calm voice. 

Rachel shifted from Chloe’s arms to face Max. She was right. A few years back and seeking help wouldn’t have been an option. Then, the perfect solution had been getting high and wasted, not anymore though. If it meant helping her reach her goal, like hell she wouldn’t give it a try.

“You’re right Max. I’m sorry I snapped at you. Old bad habits.” Rachel apologised, voice shaky but sincere.

Max didn’t mind but her heart ached at the sight of seeing Rachel so defeated. She always seemed so assured and positive. To see her like this made her overwhelming guilt bubble up to the surface. 

“I’m so sorry.” Max said, eyes downcast. Her chest felt like a ton of bricks had been dropped on it.

“Why are you apologising?” Rachel asked as both she and Chloe looked at her in confusion.

“Because I have this power which I still don’t fully understand, and I can never get it right. Someone always ends up hurting.” Max looked up to face them. “I wish I could have found a timeline that none of you had to go through all of this shit.”

“Max, I may call you Super Max but you can’t expect to save everyone, nobody does. Shit happens. We learn to deal with it.” Said Chloe in a determined voice.  _ She has really matured  _ Max thought. 

“Max, honestly, as grim as it sounds, I’d rather be dealing with this, with the two of you by my side than be 6 feet under.” Rachel added.

“I promise you Rachel I’ll do anything I can to help.” 

“I know you will Max. And you’ve already done so much. Neither of us would be standing here if you hadn’t. You also went through the same bullshit, so I know you understand how it feels. I know I can talk to you. Both of you.” Rachel said, sounding a bit livelier. 

Chloe kissed her gently, followed by Max who placed a gentle kiss on her temple which brought a smile on Rachel’s face. 

“How about I run you a nice hot bath?” Chloe offered.

“That sounds amazing.” 

While Chloe prepared the bath, adding Rachel’s favourite bath bomb with hints of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, Max helped Rachel undress as she was still a bit shaken up, fatigue having settled in for good. 

“Mind if I join you?” Chloe asked when Rachel was about to go in.

“Like I would ever say no.”

Chloe smiled and soon after she was sitting in the bathtub, with Rachel between her legs resting on her chest. 

Max smiled fondly at them. She knelt beside them, pushing up the sleeves of her sweater and pouring a bit of shampoo in her palm. 

With careful and smooth motions, she started to massage Rachel’s scalp who hummed in appreciation as Chloe scrubbed her arms and legs. 

“Mmm you guys sure know how to spoil a lady.”

“I learned from the best.” Max said looking at Chloe, who despite her bad girl façade, loved spoiling and pampering her girlfriends. Although the bad girl attitude did come in handy a few times, more specifically when a guy had catcalled Max and followed her around. Chloe had stepped in and left the guy with a bloody nose. The photographer voiced her thought to help distract Rachel which earned her a giggle from the blonde and a proud wide grin from the punk. 

When the bath was finished and Rachel was all dried up, they helped her get in her pyjamas and Chloe insisted she ate something despite the model not having much of an appetite. She did, however, indulge in some ice cream that she ate in bed with each of her girlfriends on either side, keeping her company. Chloe described her day at the garage and how she had gotten this badass idea, while fixing a travel trailer car, to do some adjustments on her car so they could go on road trips and camping, an idea that seemed to bring a smile on both her partners faces. 

As much as she would have loved to talk more, Rachel had trouble keeping up as her mind felt like it was running on fumes. She dreamed of sleep but knew that the chances of getting any tonight were low. 

“You’re staying the night, right?” Rachel asked, not wanting to be left alone in fear of another attack taking her by surprise and simply needing to hear the confirmation out loud even though she knew they’d be sleeping together. 

“Of course.” Max said as she caressed her face while Chloe wrapped her hand around her waist. 

That night Rachel didn’t really sleep. Every time she tried to close her eyes, flickers of images from the Dark Room and the junkyard would pass by like a slideshow. And so, she just lay there. Hearing the rhythmic breathing of the two people next to her, trying to match it. It calmed her down. Grounded her. For the first time that day, she felt safe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please take care out there, especially during these stressful times. Talk to people and don’t let it bottle up, speaking form experience, it just makes it worse. Seek out professional help if need be. I’m also here if anyone needs to talk, vent or simply talk about random shit if it helps taking your mind off things. I know this isn't the best platform but that can be fixed.  
> Here's my twitter in case anybody needs a safe-space to talk:   
> https://twitter.com/BeanInnocent?s=09


	5. Game, set, match

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somethin' smol

Max entered the apartment feeling drained. It had been such a bizarre day. All she wanted to do was curl up on the couch with her girlfriends and watch movies, after she took a shower and ordered dinner even though the poor veggies she had bought a couple of days ago just sat in the fridge, uneaten. Why did they even bother to buy them if they were just going to order in anyway? 

The young photographer didn’t expect anyone to be home, but to her pleasant surprise, heard music blasting from Chloe’s room. Without making a sound, she dropped her bag by the couch and took out her polaroid; the same polaroid Chloe had given her as a belated birthday gift. Her father’s polaroid. It was the only thing Max had kept from that timeline and was her most treasured possession. 

Making sure she wouldn’t be heard, she made her way to the other’s room and very slowly tiptoed in. Chloe had her back turned to her, busy drawing away at her desk, humming alongside the song. Max smiled, this was going to make a great shot. With steady hands she lifted the camera and  _ click _ . The flash went off and the satisfying sound of the photo being printed filled Max’s soul with content. 

“Jesus Christ!” Chloe jumped, making the black marker skid across the paper. “Aw man.” She grunted looking at the ruined drawing.

“Sorry.” Max said self-consciously. 

“It’s okay, I didn’t like it very much to begin with.” She said while turning to look at Max. “They taught you stealth in the last year of Blackhell or what? You’re truly a Blackwell ninja.”

Max shot her a look at hearing the last remark which made Chloe eye her inquisitively. 

“Nothing. It’s just that you’ve said something similar. In the previous timeline.”

“I did huh? I guess some things don’t change.”

“No.” Max answered with a fond smile on her face. “So, how come you’re back already?”

“Slow day. Mike gave me the rest of the day off. How about you?”

“I just came back from a freelance job I had taken. You won’t believe what I was hired to do!”

“Another of those cliché wedding photos?”

“Thank God no! But also, yes.” 

“You lost me.”

“Come out to the living room and I’ll show you.” Max said and led the way out. She put her beloved polaroid and her new picture on the coffee table before taking out her Canon.

“This woman hired me to take professional pictures of a wedding...her dog's wedding.”

“You’re shitting me.” Chloe said while making herself comfortable on the couch. 

“I shit you not!”

“Dude! You have to show me, like right now! Get your bony ass over here!” and before Max could go and join, the punk grabbed her by the waist, pulling her down, right on her lap. 

Max giggled and leaned in to peck her on the lips. She then proceeded to switch on her camera. 

“I swear to you Chloe, they were the cutest things! Look at this one wearing a little tie!”

“People actually go through all the trouble to dress up their dogs?”

“She had a whole altar set up!”

Chloe had an incredulous look plastered all over her face. “And they say I’m the one who gets high.”

“Honestly, I’d take this type of photoshoot over any boring wedding one. Plus, it pays the bills.”

“I still don’t get how you manage to balance freelance and a part time job Super Max.”

“Hhmm I sometimes wonder myself.” She turned her head to face Chloe and continued on. “But that’s why I have my awesome girlfriends to help me keep my sanity.”

“At yer service m’lady!” Chloe said in her best pirate voice while kissing her cheek. 

“Oh! Rachel texted me to say that she will be late. They are rehearsing till late at night.”

“Oh? Just the two of us? Seems this pirate gets to plunder some booty!” Chloe said with a playful voice, quirking both eyebrows consecutively with a shit-eating grin on her face. 

Max let out a defeated groan.

“You’re hopeless.”

“Hopelessly in love with you? Maybe.”

Okay Max had fallen right into that one. Her eyes rolled at the back of her head despite the sensation of fluttering butterflies in her stomach upon hearing it.

“Oh  _ maybe _ , is it?”

Chloe winked at her.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Mm your idiot. So how about this pirate here starts her treasure hunt for the…G that marks the spot?”

“Oh my God!” Max burst out laughing, “I can’t believe I actually laughed at that! But your treasure hunt will have to wait another 5 days.” She pointed down, between her legs. 

“Fuck!”

“Unfortunately not.”

“You think you’re so funny don’t you?”

“As a matter of fact, I do!” 

“Look at you so confident. Who are you and what have you done with my Max?”

“I had her time travel to make her wiser and funnier.” She said in a dead serious tone. 

Both women looked at each other then. It was supposed to be one of those jokes that didn’t really hold any truth to them because time travel? That shits not real! But they both knew better so when they locked eyes, they snickered before having a full-blown laughing fit. 

“What do you feel like doing tonight?” asked the punk once they caught their breath.

“Take a shower for sure and then maybe order some Japanese and watch a movie?”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children?”

“Oh you misspelled Blade Runner there.” Chloe quipped. 

They both stared at each other, eyes narrowing into a glare. 

“There’s only one way to settle this then.” Chloe said in a serious voice.

“Tekken 7. First to 5 victories wins.” 

“You’re on.” 

By the time the food arrived, Max had showered and set up the game. Once again Max hadn’t failed to tease Chloe about the character “Lucky Chloe” in the game, saying she would look so cute cosplaying her and making the punk cringe at the thought of having to wear such an outrageous outfit, for her standards. 

“Hell no!” the punk said with a mouthful of noodles. 

“Aaww come on sweetie! Comic con is right around the corner.”

“Good, you can take Warren and geek out all you like. I am NOT wearing that. Stop looking at me with those puppy eyes and pick your character so I can whip your ass.”

“Too sure of yourself, you are mmm.” Max said in her best Yoda impersonation as she picked Yoshimitsu for the 100 th time. 

To spite her off, Chloe picked her second favourite character, King, so they would have to fight each other.

“How dare you!” Max accused her. 

Chloe’s face split into an evil grin. This was going to be fun.

At some point during the game, Chloe looked sideways to take in Max’s face which was lit up from the screen. She was focused. A light frown creasing her brow, lips pressed together, freckled cheeks pink from the excitement. Chloe couldn’t believe Max was back in her life. It felt surreal sitting here playing games again with someone she knew most of her life. A person she could now hold, kiss and love. She found it hard to believe this was all real. That she deserved any of this. She had people in her life that loved her and weren’t dropping out like flies. A fear she still battled against but was getting better at dealing with. 

“Booyah! And that’s how it’s done shaka brah!” Max cheered, bringing Chloe back from her reverie.

“You okay there?” she asked, noticing Chloe staring at her and not immediately commenting on her use of “shaka brah”. 

“Y-yeah. More than fine. I sometimes still can’t believe you’re here.” She said, failing to hide a light blush. 

“And I’m never leaving.” Max said, resting her head on the other’s shoulder. 

“Okay enough with the mushy feelings! We’re tied so next game determines the winner.”

“Spare yourself the humiliation and let me just play Advent Children already.”

“Careful there Max, your arrogance will be your downfall.”

“Oh aren’t you a wise-ass now?”

Not three minutes later, Max was sitting, mouth agape, defeat staring her in the eyes. 

“Oh I’m sorry Maximus. You were saying?”

“But…How…?”

“A master never reveals her secrets. But hey, it’s not the first time I leave you speechless.” Chloe said winking as a smirk played at the corner of her lips. 

“I-… Touché.” 

“Oh sweet victory. Now I believe we were just about to watch Blade Runner?” 

Max accepted her defeat. After putting on the director’s cut of the movie, she sat comfortably next to Chloe on the couch with the other’s arm resting on her shoulder. Max sighed in contentment. 

The door to the apartment opened with the sound of keys clinking together as Rachel entered, drained and exhausted. The rehearsals had gone well into the night, everybody staying after hours, working hard as the opening night approached. The actress usually didn’t mind working late but this time even she felt the pressure. This was going to be a big production that many people anticipated.  _ Important _ people. So yes, Rachel was officially stressed. 

_ Hot bath. Glass of wine. You’re almost there girl _ she mused to herself.  _ You’ve earned it. _

Despite it being close to midnight she hadn’t expected her girlfriends to be asleep, least of all Chloe, so the display in front of her had caught her off guard.

The movie on the tv had finished a long time ago, now only black static playing in the background as a sleeping Max lay on the couch with a sleeping Chloe splayed over her, head resting on her chest, rising and falling in unison with the brunette’s breathing. 

It was such a heart-warming scene that made her smile tenderly. Carefully, so as to not wake them up, she tiptoed towards the coffee table in front of the couch to switch off the tv and gently took the blanket that rested on the armrest of the couch and covered both women with it. Not before snapping a picture of the two. She just couldn’t resist. 

“It’s just you and me now.” She whispered to the glass of wine she had gone to the kitchen and poured for herself, not after kissing both her idiots goodnight and headed straight for the bathtub. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The photoshoot was inspired by none other than the Queen herself, Jenna Marbles, which I’m missing so damn much but I hope she’s doing alright. Also, Comic Cons, remember those? *laughs to hide tears* 
> 
> P.S Next update is going to be after the holidays. So I wish you all an early happy new year and I hope you're having a lovely time despite the odd circumstances! See you all next year!


	6. How to keep your photographer warm 101

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Let me start by wishing you all a late happy new year! I hope you're all keeping safe :)  
> So, what do you say we get back to our three idiots?

Chloe, Rachel and Max had gone out to eat dinner at a small pizza restaurant not far from their apartment that served some of the best pizza the girls had ever eaten and always tried to find the faintest of excuses to visit. Tonight wasn't any different as no one was in the mood to cook and it really didn’t take a lot of convincing. 

Rachel and Chloe were almost finished with their food when they noticed Max was frowning at her half-finished pizza, which was a crime really, and chewing the inside of her mouth. 

“Earth to Max. I’m sure that you won’t find the answers to the universe’s mysteries no matter how intensely you stare at that pepperoni.” Chloe joked. 

“Yeah sweetheart. You stare at it a bit more and you're probably going to burrow a hole through the table.” Rachel said as she tried to read Max. “What’s on your mind?”

Max sighed in resignation. For the last two days she had been contemplating if she should enter a photography competition organised by a very renowned magazine. Anybody who entered would have to submit three pictures under the theme of “cityscape” and then the top ten photographers picked from the magazine’s artistic directors would have to display ten new photos under the same theme in a gallery with the rest of the contestants. The winner would get a two-page spread in the magazine. Something like this would mean huge exposure and new career opportunities. Max really wanted to enter but a little voice in her head whispered that she wasn’t good enough, that this was for the big players not small hipster photographers still wet behind the ear. 

“There is this competition…I really want to enter but..” she hesitated before explaining to them what it was all about and voicing her insecurities. “I don’t know if I am ready for something this big. There are so many talented photographers here in L.A. This is not a Blackwell competition. This is career-changing stuff.” She knew she was blabbering but couldn’t stop the words from rolling out. 

“Which is why you should enter it. Max, don’t think too little of yourself. You have a gift. And I know you will kick some ass because you’re amazing.” Chloe said while placing her hand on Max’s shoulder, squeezing lightly. 

“I don’t know…” she averted her gaze, never one to deal with compliments well. 

“Chloe is right. You are seriously skilled Max. Trust me on this. I’ve seen a lot of the photos some so-called professionals take whilst in the studio and believe me, you have nothing to be jealous of.”

Max gave Rachel her _Really?_ look before adding “Even if what you say is true, it’s still a different type of photography.”

“Look, I understand, I do. I was uncertain at first, still am sometimes. L.A is huge and swarming with talented people but you can’t let it stop you. How many people here do you think want to become models and actors? Thousands. But it didn’t stop me from trying. And you Max? You are no fluke.” 

Max didn’t know what to say. She listened attentively to both her girlfriends words. She felt empowered by their encouragement. There was no harm in entering right? 

“Alright, I’ll do it.” She finally said after some contemplation. 

“Hell yeah!” Chloe exclaimed as both she and Rachel leaned in to give a kiss on Max’s cheeks who smiled at all the affection. 

The next day, Max dedicated it to figuring out what pictures she would submit. After going through her hard drive, she found only one she was pleased with which meant she had two more to go and so, after work, she set out in the city to wander around in search of them.

A bit more than an hour into her search and Max had come up empty handed. She felt frustrated. Most of the times she simply took the shot without much thought and without needing to look for it. Today however, nothing felt right. The one time she desperately needed a photograph, was the one time that inspiration had flown out the window. All the pictures she had taken from the moment she had left work seemed lifeless, ordinary and Max could feel her irritation growing by the minute. As if to taunt her and make things all the more complicated, the moment she was getting ready to take a picture of a man yelling in his phone, the skies opened up and a heavy rainfall had people running for shelter and soaking Max to the bone, making the green plaid shirt she was wearing cling to her skin in the most annoying and uncomfortable way.

Max cursed the Gods for her bad luck and hurried to put away her camera before it was irreversibly damaged, a thought that had the photographer grimacing at the potential loss of her child.

It seemed that the decision had been made for her and so Max called it a day and made a run for the bus stop which thankfully wasn’t very far from where she stood.

By the time Max made it to the bus stop, she could feel the water gushing out of her converse every time she took a step. Her feet felt cold and her mood was as dark as the clouds above. _Could this day get any worse?_ Max thought to herself before realising the mistake she made. Right on cue, a car sped up as it passed next to the stop and splashed all the water that had accumulated in a muddy puddle on Max.

“Oh, you fucking asshole!” Max shouted to the driver of the speeding car, the fact that he couldn't hear her not deterring her from expressing her anger. Now, not only was she as wet as a drowned rat but also had mud all over her clean clothes.

“You had to ask, didn’t you?” she mumbled to herself as she tried to get some of the stains off but to no avail. 

The bus arrived a few minutes later and the photographer hopped on, going all the way to the back and sitting next to the widow, on the seat that was above the radiator to warm up. Max was rubbing her hands together to try and get some feeling back to them when she looked up.

A few seats in front of her sat a young man with his head resting against the window, listening to music from his wireless earphones. He had his eyes closed but was smiling, fingers drumming against his legs to the rhythm of the music. Condensation had accumulated on the window he was leaning on, cutting off the world outside. The lights from the traffic lights outside barely reaching the inside of the bus, their light distorted as they hit the foggy window. 

Max immediately knew that this was the shot she had been searching for all day and so, hastily took out her Canon, capturing the moment. She smiled when she saw the result. This is what she loved. Yes, going out and wandering could lead to some amazing pictures but for her nothing could compare to these impromptu moments. Now all she needed was one more photograph.

As the bus came to a halt at Max’s stop, the young photographer’s mood had lifted only slightly as she walked the rest of the way home, grateful the rain had stopped. She was fishing for her keys as she passed in front of a small convenient store at the corner of her street when she noticed a squirrel sitting on the lid of a trash can. The neon lights from the store shone down on it and cast its shadow on the concrete floor, splitting it in three, giving the illusion that there was more than one animal.

“The Council of Three shall decide your fate.” Max said in the deepest voice she could master as she took out her camera one last time. She kneeled on one leg and angled herself in a way that she would be able to capture the squirrel and its three shadows. “Perfect.” She said out loud. In the end the day had not been a complete waste.

“Goodbye my furry friend.” Max said her goodbye and finally made her way home.

“There you are! We were starting to get worried.” Rachel greeted Max from where she stood in the kitchen without turning to look at the brunette when she entered their apartment.

“What she means to say is that she was worried cause it’s getting close to dinner time and you had told her you’d cook for us.” Chloe turned to face her, from where she sat on the couch, eyes widening when she saw Max. “Dude! What the hell? Did you go for an early swim? You’re drenched!” the punk asked as her eyes landed on her girlfriend who was looking a bit blue and Chloe was sure that was only a colour her hair should have and not Max’s lips. She quickly got up and went to hug Max whose teeth were chattering, trying to warm her up a bit as the other explained to them what had happened.

“Did you get the fuckers plate? I’ll dismantle that piece of junk.” Chloe said angrily, eyebrows narrowing into a frown.

“No Chloe, I didn’t get his licence plate.” Max giggled despite loving how overprotective Chloe could get. “But thanks for offering anyway.” She finished and kissed Chloe, making her relax into the kiss and forget her annoyance. 

“We should get you out of these clothes and into a warm bath.” Rachel offered when Max went to kiss her hello as well and she felt how cold the brunette was against her.

Max hummed in agreement, not wanting to stay a minute longer in the wet and muddied clothes.

“I’ll go and get the bath ready and Chloe can make dinner.” Rachel suggested and left before the punk could protest.

“So, either we die from food poisoning or the place burns to the ground. In any case, I don’t think our insurance covers it.” Max joked.

“This is how you repay me? I offer you my warmth and you insult my cooking?!” Chloe feigned offence. “You do remember I worked at the Two Whale dinner, right?”

“As a waitress sweetie. Joyce knew better than to let you in the kitchen!” Max continued her teasing as she removed her plaid shirt, not being able to stand any longer how cold it made her feel. It wasn’t a surprise that even her bra under her T-shirt was damp too.

“No-I-…” Chloe grumbled and crossed her arms, having come up with nothing better to say.

Max laughed in satisfaction as she made her way to the kitchen where Chloe had gone to gather ingredients from the fridge and cupboards, determined to cook them the meanest burgers they had ever eaten. The brunette came and stood in front of Chloe, wrapping her arms around Chloe’s waist and forcing the punk to stop mid track from where she had been moving between the kitchen island and the counters, prepping everything. Max tilted her head back and stood on the tip of her toes and leaned in for a kiss.

The punk was caught off guard momentarily, arms in the air while holding bread in one hand and tomatoes in the other. The moment however Chloe felt the brunette’s arms around her, she tossed the food items on the counter of the kitchen island so she could hold Max who was kissing her with vigour.

“Mm forgiven.” Chloe sighed after parting. 

“I didn’t know I needed forgiveness.” Max replied but was quickly cut off when the punk bit her lower lip, seizing the opportunity to slip her tongue past Max’s lips, swiping over the roof of her mouth, tasting her.

Max moaned into the kiss and pressed herself harder against the punk who pulled her in, hand sliding under the wet T-shirt to caress along the dip of her spine causing a new wave of shivers to coarse through Max’s body. Her hand travelled further down as she brought it in between their bodies, sliding past the waistband of Max’s jeans, all the way down to cup her. The photographer breathed out hard through her nose, trying to bite down a moan when a hot pang shot straight to her core, making her want to open her legs wider and give Chloe more access. 

“Babe...” Chloe whispered against Max’s lips as she moved her fingers purposely slow before running them over a particularly sensitive spot. “You’re wetter than an otters’ pocket.”

Max couldn’t maintain the kiss this time. She pulled back and rested her head on Chloe’s shoulder, letting out a deep groan not just because that had felt incredibly good and she needed more but also because of what Chloe had said. Truly a master at seduction…

“Jesus Christ.” Max sighed in resignation as she wiggled her hips trying to get any sort of friction again.

Chloe chuckled at seeing how needy Max was. “Chloe will do.” The punk answered, knowing exactly how much this would annoy Max. And she was right because the minute those words left her mouth, the brunette shot her a murderous look. However, before Max could say anything, Chloe pressed her palm against Max’s clit again and smashed their lips together erasing all coherent thoughts from the photographer’s mind.

“Babe, your bath is ready…” Rachel trailed off when she saw her two girlfriends making out with Chloe’s hand in Max’s pants, clearly not noticing her.

Rachel smirked and moved quietly behind Max, looking at Chloe who briefly opened her eyes to hungrily stare at the blonde. The model leaned in and pushed aside Max’s damp hair, revealing the nape of her neck which she sank her teeth in and sucked hard.

Max broke the kiss and gasped, her hand automatically flying out to hold Rachel’s head. Pressed between two warm bodies, Max suddenly didn’t feel as cold anymore with hands roaming all over her body. Her head was swimming in bliss.

Chloe took advantage of the situation to run her tongue along the brunette’s neck, catching along the way a few raindrops that hadn’t dried and quickening the pace her hand was working between Max’s legs.

“Ah! Fuck.” Max cried out in pleasure, her orgasm in sight. She didn’t know if she wanted to push further into Chloe or Rachel as both women continued to kiss her and run their lips down her neck. Max shivered again but this time it wasn’t because of her girlfriends; despite feeling her skin on fire, the wet clothes still stuck on to her, making her tremble.

“I think we should continue this later, before you catch a cold.” Chloe said in a raspy voice, even though she really, _really_ didn’t want to stop but still withdrew her hand slowly from the other’s pants.

“Oh God. No! Please don’t stop, I-I’m fine.” Max objected but failed to hide the tremble of her voice.

“Don’t worry baby, we won’t leave you like this. For now, go and take a bath. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re shaking like a leaf.” Rachel whispered against her ear before stepping back.

It was then, when Max was no longer in between the heat of two bodies that she realised just how cold she was. A warm bath didn’t sound half as bad, but she also desperately needed to come. Life was truly filled with difficult decisions. 

“Alright, I’ll go take the bath.” Max finally caved in, not wanting to let the effort Rachel put in preparing one for her go to waste.

“And no flossing the otter!” Chloe ordered.

“Classy.” Rachel chuckled followed by Max’s protest.

“Chloe!” The brunette groused but nonetheless pecked both on the lips before heading into the bathroom, leaving Rachel to help Chloe prepare dinner. 

About an hour later, all three were sat on the couch with Max wrapped in a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate in her hands, watching a random reality show and commenting on every contestant and their over-the-top reactions.

At some point, Chloe got up and gathered all the dirty dishes from the coffee table and Max’s empty cup and dropped everything in the sink. No way in hell would she be cleaning tonight.

When the punk returned, Rachel had crawled over Max, blanket thrown on the floor, as the blonde kissed her passionately. Rachel had placed her leg between Max’s so the brunette could blatantly grind against it.

“I see you started without me.” The punk stated with a smirk as she moved and sat behind Max who broke the kiss to make space for her.

“Who told you to leave?” Rachel quipped, always the rebellious spirit.

Chloe shot Rachel an accusatory look before addressing Max. “Come here.” Chloe motioned Max to sit between her spread legs and rest her back against her chest for support. When the brunette did as instructed, the punk wrapped her arms around Max and kissed her cheek, who hummed in contentment.

Max then turned to face Rachel again. She grabbed hold of the model’s shirt collar and pulled her down, smashing their lips together once more, feeling Rachel’s grin as Max’s lips passed over teeth but were quickly replaced by the swipes of her tongue, asking for permission which Max was more than eager to grant.

Just as Max was about to lose herself in the kiss, she felt another pair of lips planting open mouth kisses on her nape and travelling up until they reached her ear. Chloe nibbled on the lobe before passing her tongue along the brunette’s neck and stopping at the base before sinking her teeth in. The photographer moaned into Rachel’s mouth as heat started to pool between her legs. She squirmed in her spot, wanting more, her hand flying and grabbing Chloe’s leg in a vice grip as she rubbed her thighs together in an attempt to alleviate the burning ache inside her.

Rachel didn’t fail to notice Max’s movement beneath her. She opened her eyes and cast a glance over to Chloe who was observing them and realised Chloe had noticed Max’s discomfort too. As they locked eyes, a mutual understanding and agreement between them was instantly formed. They knew they shouldn’t but where was the fun without a little bit of teasing?

The model backed up a bit to allow Max to spread her legs apart so Rachel could move forward and be closer to the photographer. In the meantime, Chloe let her left leg hang on the side of the couch to make more space for Max. It wasn’t the most relaxing of positions for the punk but she didn’t mind. She just wanted to make Max feel comfortable.

Once they had settled into their spots, Chloe snuck her hand under the brunette’s hoodie and started to caress delicate skin, inching closer to Max’s breast, barely brushing against it. At the same time, Rachel placed her hand on Max’s sex over her sweatpants and pressed down lightly.

Max whimpered as her hips snapped forward, pushing down harder and trying to grind against Rachel’s hand, chasing after that sweet sensation.

“Come on! Touch me! Both of you.” Max whined when neither of her girlfriends seemed to be willing to give her more.

“But I am.” Chloe acted like she didn’t understand, nails grazing the underside of Max’s breast.

“You know what I mean.” Max argued back as the need between her legs grew stronger by the second. When she realised Chloe wasn’t going to act on her request, Max took the punk’s left hand and placed it on her breast and gave it a firm squeeze. Chloe smirked at the gesture before finally giving the brunette what she wanted, dragging her hand across soft skin before playing with Max’s nipple with the web of her fingers.

Max arched her back into the touch, a small moan escaping her lips. It felt good but there was one other area that was screaming for attention too and she couldn’t ignore it any longer.

“Rachel…” Max drawled, moving her hips again.

“You’re so cute when you’re desperate.” The model said in a lustful voice.

With determined movements, Rachel’s hand slipped under the waistband of Max’s pants to trail her fingers with the lightest of touches over Max’s underwear, skimming over her clit and outer folds but never really applying any sort of pressure. It was maddening and Max could feel her sanity slowly slip away like water through her fingers.

“Oh God!” Max mewled. This was getting too much to handle.

When Rachel finally decided to show her some mercy and press down on her clit while Chloe bit down on her shoulder, Max groaned and she could have sworn that her eyes rolled at the back of her head.

Even over Max’s underwear, Rachel could feel how wet her girlfriend was and it made her heart race. She absolutely loved seeing the effect Chloe and her were having on Max. How the brunette gasped and squirmed under their skilful touches, how her breath caught in her throat whenever Rachel passed over the sensitive bud or whenever Chloe sucked on her pulse point. 

“I think we teased her enough. What do you think Chlo?” Rachel asked as she pulled her hand out of Max’s pants, not without protest from the brunette.

The punk moved her right hand to the front and down Max’s sweatpants and underwear, passing her fingers over the other’s entrance and removing them quickly only to have them come back wet.

“Hhmm I think you’re right.” Chloe said in a deep voice as she examined them. 

“For fuck’s sake, someone just please fuck me!” Max cried out desperately. Her patience had run dry and she could practically hear her own heartbeat, thrumming in her ears from how worked up she was. It was times like these she was reminded of how devilishly good her girlfriends were at unearthing her uncensored side. 

“You heard her Rachel. Why don’t you fuck her?” Chloe said before licking her fingers clean, making sure to lock eyes with the blonde.

“With pleasure.” Rachel bit her lip as her eyes followed Chloe’s tongue, passing over her fingers.

This time the model wasted no time shoving her hand past the brunette’s underwear with a swift move. She ran her fingers along slick folds, coating them in Max’s essence and circling her entrance before pushing her middle finger in. At the same time, Rachel kissed Max again, cutting off her moan and slipping her tongue inside her mouth.

After a few experimental thrusts Rachel pulled out and added a second finger, waiting a bit before moving them again. 

_Shit_ thought Max as she rolled her hips as much as the confined space she sat in allowed her, moaning into the kiss at finally getting what she craved for. 

Rachel didn’t take it slow this time round, on the contrary she started thrusting her fingers hard and fast into Max who had to break the kiss, gasping for air cause _holly fuck_ this was _exactly_ what she needed. Rachel was the flame and Max was willing to get burned if it meant she got to experience this form of unrestrained bliss. 

The pause between the kiss had given the opportunity to Rachel to lean in over the brunette’s shoulder and crash her lips against Chloe’s, battling for dominance as they kissed. Both feeding off Max’s pleasure and the sounds coming from Rachel fucking Max.

The blonde ended the kiss after a while, wanting to concentrate on Max. She resumed passing her thumb over Max’s clit in sync with curling her fingers which had the brunette’s hips buckle because of how sensitive she was. Meanwhile, Chloe held her down with her right arm as the other hand continued to play with her breast.

“Please don’t stop. _Please_.” Max begged, feeling like she was walking on a tightrope and with just the right push she would tip over.

“We won’t, not this time baby.” Rachel reassured her.

The photographer then turned her head to face Chloe, lifting her left arm up to hold onto blue locks and bring their lips together in a searing kiss. Chloe gladly let Max hold onto her hair even though she was tugging hard. The punk knew her girlfriend was close from the way her body shifted under her and how Max couldn’t maintain a proper rhythm while kissing, feeling her breath on her skin as it came out in short and quick puffs of air. Chest rising and falling fast.

When Rachel curled her fingers in a particular way inside her, Max was unable to hold back a moan while her whole body shivered. She was _so_ close.

“F-fu-mm” Max could barely speak. Brow creasing in an effort to hold on for a bit more even if she didn’t not know why. Maybe because her brain was high on oxytocin and it wanted to stay up there for a while longer.

“Let go babe.” She heard Chloe whisper in her ear with an encouraging voice as she removed her hand from under her girlfriend’s hoodie to hold her hand, intertwining their fingers.

Max held on for dear life as she felt her orgasm approach. All it took were a few more thrust and Rachel’s thumb on her clit for Max to break. Her whole body seized up before her hips trembled. Her eyes closed shut while her head tilted back and rested on Chloe’s shoulder as she came, biting on her bottom lip so only a few moans could escape her and squeezing the punk’s hand, using it like an astronaut’s tether to keep her from drifting too far off into space.

When Rachel removed her fingers, after trying to prolong Max’s orgasm for as long as she could and before oversensitivity kicked in, Max lay motionless and breathless against the punk, who held her close.

Despite feeling like her legs weighed a ton, Max had a warm fuzzy feeling spreading throughout her entire body. She smiled when Chloe nuzzled the side of her head with her nose, causing her to open her eyes.

Max sat up straight to look at Rachel who smiled back at her. The photographer leaned forward and rested her forehead against the blonde’s before kissing her, trying to relay through that small gesture her gratification.

“Are you both… um… okay?” Max asked her girlfriends when she sat properly on the couch, casting sideway looks at both of them.

“Yeah Max, don’t worry. We wanted to make _you_ feel good.” Chloe answered for herself and Rachel who nodded in agreement.

“Well then I’d say mission accomplished.” Max smiled while stretching, feeling re-energised.

“Ah yes. Another satisfied customer.” Chloe said in a serious tone despite the shit eating grin on her face. Rachel and Max eyed each other before vacantly staring at the punk. 

“Aaanyways… I don’t know about you ladies, but I have an early rehearsal tomorrow. And since I recall doing most of the work-“ Rachel darted a look at Chloe. “I’m off to bed to get my beauty sleep.” Rachel declared as she got up.

“I’ll join you. I’m hella beat too.” Chloe added, following close behind. She suddenly felt really tired and her lower back hurt from having to carry heavy parts at the garage all day. She should really remember to lift with her legs. 

“Max, love. Are you coming?” Rachel stopped to ask.

Max considered joining them but realised she no longer felt weary or sleepy, on the contrary she was wide awake.

“No, I think I’ll stay up a bit longer.” She finally said and got up to kiss her girlfriends goodnight.

When Chloe and Rachel had gone to bed, Max sat on the couch contemplating. Should she listen to some music and start editing the pictures? The deadline was coming awfully close. But then her eye caught the PlayStation controller sticking out from under the TV stand. Oh she really shouldn’t. It was never just _one_ more game. Never “I will play for a bit” and Max knew it. She also knew she needed to get work done but felt zero motivation at the moment, especially now that she was so relaxed after such a fun time with her partners. 

It was then that her phone vibrated on the coffee table, notifying her that she had a new text.

“ _Summoning Max Power! You up?_ ” Max smiled seeing it was from Warren.

“ _Hey Warren._ ”

“ _She lives! What’re you up to?_ ”

“ _Nothing really. Trying to decide if I edit pictures or give into the dark side and play a few games._ ”

To that, Warren texted Max a gif of Darth Sidious laughing maniacally.

“ _You make a very compelling argument_.” Max chuckled as she got up to switch on the PlayStation. She could totally work later.

“ _Always here to help you out! So, how did it go today? Got those shots you wanted?”_

_“Actually yes! But not before getting completely soaked by that sudden downpour -.- “_

_“You were out in that?!”_

_“Of course. Or else it wouldn’t be fun… At least my camera survived otherwise I’d lose it_ _ಠ_ ___ _ಠ_ _”_

_“Yeah… I wouldn’t want to be around you if that happened”_

_“Smart boy”_

_“You didn’t catch a cold right? You should keep warm!”_

_“I hope not! I came home completely soaked but Chloe and Rachel made sure I stayed warm.”_ Max pressed send without putting much thought into the message and only after became aware of what she was implying when she saw Warren’s response.

“ _Made sure…How?”_

 _“WAIT. Scratch that. I don’t want to know.”_ Came Warren’s response seconds after his previous text.

“ _Yeah let’s not. Although it’s not like you don’t know ^.^’ ”_

_“You know that I know but I don’t want to know. You know?”_

Max burst out laughing but immediately bit her lip in an attempt to keep quiet, not wanting to disturb the others.

“ _He speaks the language of the Gods.”_ Max replied before putting the phone to the side and taking the console. 

The next morning Max deeply rued her life choices. She hadn’t noticed time fly by and had stayed up late playing and chatting with Warren. 

And as she would later find out, those choices would morph into regrets... Big regrets… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Max...


	7. Gimme what I want

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk what to tell you, this is just smut...

Chloe made her way to the theatre where Rachel was rehearsing. Earlier that day she had received a text from her asking if Chloe could come pick her up. So here she was, parking her trusty old pickup truck and heading in the small reception area of the theatre. That’s when she saw a guy openly flirting with Rachel. He was leaning in close to her, hand on her shoulder, before the blonde darted him a warning look and causing the man to retract his hand.

Rewind back a few years ago and she would have barged in guns blazing, jealousy getting the best of her but that was in the past. She had grown out of that phase and tended to be calmer, well, most of the times. It seemed like today wouldn’t be one of those days.

She knew Rachel had a way with people and getting turned down could lead to heartache. Most of them backed off when she said no but not this dude. Mind you, Rachel wasn’t a damsel in distress. Far from it, she had experience handling situations like these better than any of them. However, Chloe was having a particularly bad day today; her patience was running on critically low levels and the last thing she wanted was to see someone hitting on her girlfriend.

The first thing that had ticked her off was the guy’s overconfident posture and the way he was leering Rachel like a piece of meat on display. Secondly, her bad day began at work when a freaking annoying client at the garage thought they knew how to fix the car better than her.

“ _Why don’t you remove the screwdriver out of your ass then and fix it yourself!”_ She had barked out. Mike, her boss, had to come rushing in to put out the fire. He tended to be lenient with her, but this time Mike had scolded her, not without an explanation though. Said he understood how what she had been through as a teen could have played a major role in the way she reacted to things, since he had to deal with similar shit growing up, but eventually she would have to think before acting. Chloe wouldn’t admit it, but she liked Mike despite getting on her nerves. Especially when he was right.

Rachel’s laugh reverberated across the room, bringing Chloe back to the present.

“You know, you’d be much cuter if you weren’t so persistent.”

“Ah but you think I’m cute!”

“I see you also have selective hearing. But like I said, no thanks. I have someone coming to pick me up-Oh speak of the devil!” Rachel’s face lit up when she saw Chloe approach them.

“Hey babe, thanks for coming!” She said before planting a quick peck on Chloe’s lips.

“Anytime.”

“Oh so you weren’t lying when you said you had a girlfriend!”

“Why would I lie about that?” Rachel turned to face him, now starting to get annoyed. 

“Well, someone as gorgeous as you, dating a girl. Can’t be serious right? So how about that drink?”

“Excuse _you_ asshole?” Chloe intervened by stepping forward, ready for a fight. Already feeling her anger rise.

Rachel gently put her hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder stopping her midway.

“Look sweetie, I know it can sometimes be difficult to understand complicated words such as “No” but how about this.” She took out a card with a bar’s name on it from her purse. “Go there and get a drink for you and your hand tonight. You can think about me.” She said while pushing the card in his hand and winking. Chloe snorted out a laugh as she wrapped her arm around the blonde’s waist while they both walked away leaving behind a red, fuming and gaping guy in their wake.

Once in the car, Chloe turned to face Rachel.

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told.”

“And also very modest.”

Rachel just shrugged off the jab. “You’re welcome for helping you not get arrested. Although, I must admit. You’re hella hot when you get angry and I wouldn’t mind seeing you in cuffs.” She cast a fiery look towards Chloe.

“Well how about we go home then and you can show me _exactly_ how much you like it?” The punk answered with a smirk on her face and stepped on the gas pedal without waiting for an answer.

Max was already deep in thought and working hard, editing pictures with which she would enter the competition, when her girlfriends arrived home.

“Hey.” She said without looking up from her laptop which she had placed on a small table by the living room window.

“Hey back.” Rachel greeted as she came and wrapped her arms around the brunette and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. “How’s it going?”

“Like I want to crawl under a rock and die. I may or may not have stayed up all night playing Final Fantasy VII and talking to Warren, after you two went to bed.” She said sheepishly.

“Wow, and I thought Rachel was the dramatic one here.” Chloe popped in the conversation. “And really? You’re still playing _that_?”

“Hey! Final Fantasy VII is one of the greatest games of all time. Don’t you dare bad mouth it in front of me!” The brunette pointed an accusatory finger at Chloe.

Meanwhile, Rachel shot Chloe a deadly glare and flipped her off as a response to her witty remark to which the punk just mouthed “Soon”.

“Okay what’s going on here? I can literally feel you two vibrating in anticipation.” Max asked after witnessing that cryptic exchange.

“Oh nothing, Chloe just wants me to tie her up and fuck her.” It was Chloe’s turn to blush at how casually Rachel spurted that out. Even after all this time, the blonde could still make her blush like a teen.

“Bullshit. That’s not what I said!”

“So you _don’t_ want me to fuck you?” Rachel quirked an eyebrow.

“N-no, I meant-“ Chloe stammered feeling flustered. She had walked right into that one, hadn’t she?

Meanwhile Max tried to look away, sporting her own pair of pink cheeks.

“Want to join?” Rachel ignored the punk to turn her attention back to Max.

Max sighed in resignation. This was not fair. Or maybe it was seeing how if she hadn’t procrastinated last night, her evening would have concluded with her staring at a ceiling and panting instead of a laptop screen and yawning.

“As tempting as the offer is, I really can’t. I have to finish this today and it’s already going to be an all-nighter.” Max groaned in frustration and her own stupidity.

“As you wish. You know where to find us if you change your mind.” Rachel placed one last kiss on Max’s cheek and went to take Chloe by the hand, leading them to her room.

“At least pretend to try and be quiet.”

“Can’t promise anything!” Rachel answered with a cheeky smile.

“What she said.” Chloe interjected.

All the photographer could do was frown at them as she grabbed her headphone and plugged them in while her two girlfriends were off to have some fun. Life was cruel indeed.

Rachel’s room was specious, with a big window facing the east and a queen-sized bed opposite of it. One wall gave to a mirrored wardrobe that had been pricey but was one of the few splurges she had allowed herself.

Rachel switched on her bed lights and set the luminosity on low while motioning for Chloe to go undress entirely and sit on the bed. The blue haired woman did as she was told a little too eager which caused her to stumble and almost fall face first on the floor as she was trying to remove her jeans.

Rachel who had witness the whole scene, snickered at her girlfriend’s antics.

During the time Chloe was fighting with her jeans, Rachel had gone and grabbed a pair of black and dark red leather cuffs, conjoined together by a silver chain.

“You’re not allowed to touch me until I say so.” She said in a pointed tone while bringing Chloe’s hands together and placing the cuffs around her wrists, tightening them securely.

“Not too tight?” Rachel asked, breaking out of character for a bit to make sure the other was comfortable. When Chloe shook her head, the blonde pushed the punk’s shoulder with a bit of force causing her to fall on the bed and climbing over her so she could rest her entire weight on Chloe before leaning in to kiss her.

Rachel dragged her lips against Chloe’s, tongue swiping over them and demanding access which the punk was happy to grant. The model groaned into the kiss, savouring the taste of Chloe mixed with the faintest hint of the cigarette she had smoked, and which still lingered. The kiss was broken only because the need for air became too overpowering.

This provided the perfect opportunity for the blonde to start placing open-mouthed kisses down the punk’s neck and drag her lips all the way across the expense of her collar bones and back up to nibble on a pulse point which she knew was a sensitive spot for Chloe. Right on cue, the punk gasped and squirmed under the blonde’s playful touches.

Rachel decided to tease her girlfriend a bit more and so brushed her lips against soft skin, going down until she reached her breasts. She took her time here, passing her tongue over a sensitive bud before suckling on it, playing with the piercing in her mouth and lightly tugging on it, loving the small noises that escaped Chloe’s mouth with each pull. With her free hand, she played with the other breast, fondling and running her nails over the pierced nipple.

Chloe was breathing fast, hands tugging at the cuffs in frustration as the blonde toyed with her. There was something about laying naked in bed while Rachel was still fully clothed and playing with her as if Chloe’s sole purpose was to be used to satisfy the blonde’s needs, that turned Chloe on so much it made her clit throb. She was also positive that she had left a damp patch on Rachel’s pants from where her leg rested on Chloe’s sex from how _wet_ she was.

In general, the punk hated that mentality; of people using people and she knew that Rachel never viewed her as an object but sometimes, especially during their play time she welcomed it. Wanted to be used if it was going to make Rachel come. And the blonde liked it too, judging by the way she rolled her hips against Chloe as she bit and kissed the punk’s breasts.

Rachel leaned back to inspect her work of freshly marked skin with pink and blue bruises, humming in satisfaction.

“Such a pretty thing.” Her voice was low and smooth like silk. Hazel eyes clouded with want and betraying how aroused she was too. 

“Come on Rach!” Chloe protested as she tried to rub her thighs together in an attempt to apply some sort of pressure between her legs but in vain.

“Patience was never really your thing. But you’ll learn.” Rachel said as she took one of the piercings between her fingers and pulled a bit harder, revelling in Chloe’s cry as if it were the sweetest song she’d ever heard.

“Besides, who said you’d be getting what you wanted first?” Rachel smirked before journeying down, kissing over taut stomach until she was inches away from Chloe’s sex. She looked at her girlfriend one last time, eyes gleaming with mischief before lowering herself to blow cool air and kitten lick the outer folds but never nearing the clit.

By now, Chloe was reduced to a whimpering mess, hips moving on their own accord in search for more contact.

“You’re sadistic.” She said between short breaths.

“And you love it.” Rachel retorted, relishing in the power the control over the punk gave her.

“I never said I didn’t.” 

“Good, because I’m just getting started.” With that, Rachel got up and went to one of her drawers where she fished out a strap-on with a purple dildo attached to it which she helped adjust it to Chloe before hastily fully undressing herself, revealing a bit of her eagerness, and chucking her clothes to the floor.

Chloe eyed her intensely, taking in every curve of her body she knew so well by now and wanting to run her tongue along it. Her eyes not once leaving Rachel as she shifted upwards on the bed to find a more comfortable position and let Rachel straddle her hips.

 _Fuck she’s gorgeous_ Rachel thought to herself when she settled over Chloe. She took in blue scattered hair, pale blue eyes and slightly parted lips. She could have stayed and looked at her for hours but her own need was growing stronger by the minute.

“You’re staring.” Chloe stated as a blush crept on her cheeks.

“I am. But now you’ll be the one looking. And remember. _No_ touching.” She said against Chloe’s lips, nibbling on the bottom one before sitting back up.

And so, she began touching herself, running fingers along glossy folds before adding her middle finger inside and gasping at the sensation, head lolling to the side. After a few thrusts she added her ring finger as well, now properly moving them in and out while using her palm to apply pressure on her clit.

Chloe grunted under her as her eyes greedily took in the sight and sound of her girlfriend fucking herself on her fingers. All she wanted to do was touch but knew she wasn’t allowed even if every fibre in her being was screaming to break the rules. But unless she wanted to be edged all night or worse denied an orgasm, which in her mind would be criminal, she had to obey. And so, she did.

“If you would be so kind to…” Rachel said when she removed her fingers and placed them on her girlfriend’s lips. Chloe grinned and did as told, lapping her tongue around thin fingers. God, she loved the taste of Rachel. Before letting them go though, she smiled mischievously and gave them a hard bite.

“Behave.” Rachel reprimanded her and moved to hold the dildo, lining it with her entrance before sliding down, taking it all in, in one go.

Rachel bit her lip at being stretched so suddenly but _God_ did it feel good. The moment she started gyrating her hips, a moan of pleasure spilled out of her mouth as the silicon dildo pressed in all the right places.

She rode Chloe for a few minutes at a slow pace as she put on a show for her girlfriend and taking pleasure in the knowledge that the punk was struggling to hold back. She could practically feel the pair of blue eyes burning a trail down her body all the way to where they were connected and zeroing in on how the model took in the purple length. That’s when she stopped abruptly and with a wicked smile, cast a blazing gaze at Chloe.

“Move.” She demanded.

Chloe felt a hot pang shoot through her and nestle deep in her belly at the sound of the other. Rachel’s little show had melted her brain like wax under a flame and she immediately started thrusting up, doing all the work while the blonde braced herself on Chloe’s bend knees, arching her back to fully display her body.

 _Shit_ the punk murmured, feeling compelled to sink her nails in soft skin but knew she wasn’t allowed to. Her hands pulled at her restraints in frustration, fighting back the urge.

“I was right-ah- you do you look a-amazing in cuffs.” Rachel said in between moans as she ran a hand over her breast and squeezed, making sure to keep eye contact with the pair of pale blues that kept darting at her hand that played with her nipple, knowing full well that the punk was just dying to touch them as well. 

“Just wait until I get my hands on you next time.” Chloe replied through gritted teeth.

“I’m counting on it. Now shut up and fuck me properly.” Rachel shot back, casting an imperious look at her partner.

It wasn’t an easy task with both hands bound, but Chloe wasn’t one for giving up. Her thrusts become faster and deeper causing Rachel to cry out in pleasure.

God, the stretch was mind numbing, flesh crawling bliss. No way Max hadn’t heard them.

Rachel could feel she was getting close and so one of her hands automatically flew to her clit, rubbing in short and fast successions while the other wrapped around Chloe’s throat and squeezed.

“Fuck, Chloe. Keep going. Such a good girl for me.” She said in a hoarse voice, eyes trained on the other.

Chloe groaned at the sensation of fingers pressing down on her, making it hard to breath. She had never admitted to liking it aloud but some time ago when Rachel had experimentally tried it out, Chloe had come instantly. Now her abs and legs were burning, she had trouble breathing but refused to stop.

Rachel’s mouth dropped open into a silent cry at a particularly hard thrust which made her vision blur and only motivated her to move her hand faster over her clit. She was so wet it was challenging to find purchase but that only incentivized her to try harder.

“ _Fuckfuckfuck…_ Chlo-I’m-“

A few more thrusts and Rachel was spasming, bucking her hips as she orgasmed, a trickle of fluid running down her inner thigh and wetting Chloe as she rolled her hips, wanting nothing more but to prolong the sensation that had thrown body and mind in an intoxicating daze.

The blonde collapsed on the punk, both sweaty and heaving for air, as she rested her head on Chloe’s shoulder until they both could breathe properly before sealing their lips together in a hot and languid kiss.

Eventually Rachel sat up, letting a moan escape her lips as the silicon dick slipped out of her. She helped remove the strap-on off Chloe but decided to leave the cuffs on.

Throughout this entire time, Chloe had been so close to coming. The view alone combined with the sounds of Rachel and her hand around her throat would have been enough to tip her over if she hadn’t been so focused on fucking Rachel like she deserved.

“You were such a good girl for me Chloe. It’s only fair I return the favour.” Rachel said in a raspy voice as she caressed the other down her side.

The model moved further down the bed, hands roaming over Chloe’s lean body until Rachel was spreading her legs and caressing Chloe’s inner thighs, pressing kisses and littering the sensitive skin with small bites, down and down until she was licking wet folds and _finally_ pushing in with her tongue, trying to go in as deep as possible.

“Holly shit!” Chloe cried out in pleasure, eyes losing focus as they rolled at the back of her head. The only thing she could concentrate on was Rachel’s tongue in her and the way it pressed on her walls. The fun though didn’t last long because when the blonde passed her tongue over her clit and sucked hard, Chloe’s hands automatically flew onto blonde strands of hair and tugged as she lost focus for a moment, a deep guttural groan breaking forth from her.

“You were doing so well baby.” Rachel sighed in disappointment, stopping immediately and shaking her head disapprovingly.

“No! Rachel, I’m sorry. Please, don’t stop.” Chloe pleaded, sounding as desperate as she felt.

“But you broke the rule babe. I can’t let it go unpunished.”

If Chloe wasn’t in the head-space she was in now she would have definitely told her to fuck off but right now all she could do was beg for Rachel to continue. Chloe’s eyes were unfocused and her whole body ached from how tense she was, screaming for release that she had been so close to achieving only to be dragged right back before crossing the finish line.

The punk was still calming her racing heart and didn’t notice Rachel getting up and coming back with something in her hand.

Chloe felt her body being turned over, face in the mattress and ass in the air. It was such an exposed position, but her mind was too high on sex and wanting to come that she couldn’t care less. Before Chloe could ask what was happening, she felt the all too familiar caress of the paddle, warming her skin. Rachel rested the leather on her girlfriend’s skin but made no move to use it, not until the punk started squirming underneath her and little whimpers escaped her chapped lips.

“What is it baby?” Rachel started moving the paddle again in small circles over Chloe’s ass before dropping it lower to press it against her sex and apply pressure on her clit, causing the punk to take in a sharp inhale as she bit down on her lips and grabbed the bed sheets in a white-knuckle grip.

God, this was driving her crazy in all the right ways. Chloe’s entire body was vibrating in anticipation, but her mind was torn in two. She didn’t know what she wanted more. To grind down on the paddle or have it used on her so she could feel its sweet sting that would diffuse into a warm tingling feeling across her skin? Her mind however was quickly made up.

“D-do it. Please-” Chloe barely managed to say as her breath hitched when Rachel dragged the paddle back to rest on her ass, the leather coming back wet.

“Do what Chloe? You will have to speak up baby.” Rachel was getting such a kick out of teasing the punk. Each word coming out like a well-rehearsed line from one of her plays.

Chloe may not have been able to see it, but she knew Rachel was grinning, could practically hear it in her voice. It’s not that Rachel was asking her to say something extremely lewd but the act alone of speaking out what she so desperately wanted, forced her to open up and show her vulnerable side.

“Fuck! J-just spank me!” Chloe blurted out as she felt her cheeks burn, face buried in the sheets.

“Mmm see? Wasn’t so hard.” Rachel spoke in an amusing voice as she landed a moderate hit, followed by a few more.

“Please Rachel. I’m-Ah!” Chloe moaned. Fuck she was a shivering mess. The pain dissipated into a warm sensation that she couldn’t get enough of and each hit went straight to her clit, which throbbed painfully from the lack of attention. By now she was leaking so much, rivulets of her essence were trickling down her thigh and onto the bed.

“Hhmm I don’t know. Have you learnt your lesson?” Rachel inquired as she caressed the red skin with her hand before giving a firm squeeze. 

Chloe groaned in response and wiggled in her spot.

“That’s not an answer.”

“ _Please_.” Chloe blinked the haze away, wanting something, anything other than this inaction.

“I know we used to break the rules a lot, but you can’t break mine baby. _Never._ _Mine._ ” Rachel emphasised the last couple of words with two particularly hard spanks.

All Chloe could do was nod and bite down on her lips to stifle her cries. Her brain no longer capable of forming sentences in the state she was in. Her body screaming for release.

“Do you understand?”

“Mmm”

“I want to hear you Chloe.”

“Y-yes…” Came barely a whisper.

“Good girl.” Rachel said while soothing the warm skin, satisfied with her work. Seeing Chloe in such a state and begging her, had fired up Rachel’s engines once more.

Rachel gently turned Chloe on her back again, spreading her legs apart and trailing kisses down Chloe’s body until she was tasting her once more while adding two fingers in her and spreading them as Rachel’s tongue lapped around her clit, providing a constant stimulation.

“Fuck. _Fuuuck_.” Chloe grunted, shedding a few tears of relief from finally getting some much-needed attention. Breath coming out fast as she felt her orgasm approach like a speeding train.

“Can I come? Please. Rach, I need-mmm”

“Yes, you can baby girl.” Rachel smiled, curling her fingers in a come-hither motion and alternating between licking and sucking on the clit for extra measure. At the same time, she moved her free hand between her own legs and started touching herself with deft circular movements that caused her to moan against Chloe’s clit. 

That was all it took for Chloe to come with a mantra of Rachel’s name, unconsciously pushing her hips against Rachel’s mouth who continued her treatment until the punk was writhing from overstimulation.

“R-rach…I-it’s too much. I’m- _Fuck_.” Rachel felt Chloe tremble under her touches but didn’t stop sucking on her clit, only removing her fingers to better brace herself against the bed as she increased the pace her hand was working between her legs. As long as Chloe didn’t use the one word that would end this entire scene completely, Rachel wasn’t going to stop.

Chloe felt like her nerves were stretched thin and that she could sense the slightest graze of blonde hair on her skin. She felt raw and every breath burned her lungs but at the same time she didn’t want it to ever stop.

Rachel was practically purring. Her ego sufficiently stroked at the knowledge that her partner was close again in such a short window of time. Her jaw ached and she knew she was also seconds away from coming by the way her hips bucked in her hand.

“I-I can’t…babe…I- OH FUCK!” Whatever Chloe was about to say was cut off when a second orgasm shot out of nowhere and rattled her entire body before completely giving out as the punk heaved for air.

Watching and hearing Chloe was all it took for Rachel to surrender as well and just let go. 

“Good girl.” Rachel praised her when she finally finished lapping her tongue around Chloe’s entrance after regaining her own breath. 

Both women lay side by side, their chests rising and falling steadily and fully blissed-out. Rachel was the first to break the silence.

“Let me get these off you.” The model said before kissing her girlfriend on the forehead and sat up to remove the cuffs. She then took the blanket from the corner of the bed and wrapped it around Chloe who thanked her in a drowsy voice. They lay there for a few long minutes until the blonde was sure that Chloe had regained sense of her surroundings.

“I’ll go get you some water.” Rachel offered as she made to get up.

“That’d be nice.” The punk hummed while stretching, feeling sticky, parched and pleasantly sore. 

Rachel put on an oversized tee and walked out to the shared living room and open kitchen to grab a bottle from the fridge.

Max was still sitting there working, eyes roaming over Rachel’s body as she passed by, her face burning red. Those damned headphones had done nothing to mask the sounds despite blasting music from them. _Note to self: Buy noise cancelling headphone_ she thought to herself.

Rachel noticed her glowering in her direction.

“Sorry?” She said with a bashful smile, shoulders rising in an attempt to appear innocent.

“No you’re not.” Max answered with an impassive face, hiding as best she could how horny she felt from having heard her girlfriends.

“No, I’m not.” Rachel replied, poking out her tongue before heading back in.

Max followed her movement until Rachel disappeared in the room, adjusting herself on the seat, willing her mind to concentrate on the work in front and not at the heat pooling between her legs.

_I’m so not fucked._

“Here you go.” Rachel offered the water to Chloe who gladly accepted it. “Are you okay?”

Chloe was spent and could barely move but she wasn’t about to complain.

“Hella.” She mumbled “I should wear the cuffs more often if it gets you _this_ riled up.”

“ _You_ rile me up.”

“I’m amazing like that.” The punk quipped.

“You are and also a little brat who can’t follow one simple rule.”

“Hey, they’re meant to be broken.” Chloe grinned feeling some of her old self returning.

Rachel rolled her eyes and kissed her anyways before lying down besides the blue haired woman, resting her arm across her stomach.

“I love you.” She whispered, lips brushing against the punk’s temple. A surge of happiness washing over her as the words tumbled out with such ease, because she meant them. Because Chloe was the first person she ever _truly_ fell in love with and was still head over hills for, despite their ups and downs.

“I love you too.” Chloe smiled, enjoying the warm body next to her as she felt her eyelids heavy and slowly drifting off into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moral of the story? Don’t postpone what you can do today or end up like Max.


	8. Lose Our Heads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope you're all doing well!  
> I'm really excited to share ch8 (and later on ch9) with you cause they are some of my favourite of this series :D  
> Specifically for this chapter, it turned out very long but it just didn't feel right to split it in half so buckle up! 
> 
> P.S Title is from a song by the band Yonaka, go check them out if you haven't heard of them!

The alarm started blaring throughout the room the moment the time struck 10:00. Chloe grumbled at hearing the ruckus, refusing to open her eyes just yet. She turned to lie on her stomach, hiding her head under the pillow while she extended her arm, blindly searching for her phone to hit snooze and silence the damned thing. No more than five minutes later the alarm went off again, this time even louder as if trying to get back at her for not getting up at first. 

“Alright, you spawn of Satan.” Chloe groaned as she forced herself to sit up and grab her phone, switching off the alarm. With a huff she fell back on the bed and stretched, enjoying the feel of her muscles loosening. It was only then she realised that the space next to her was empty.

Chloe sat up again and looked around confused. It then hit her that both Max and Rachel had an early start today and would have been up already by 07:00 to have time to get ready and grab breakfast. On the bright side they at least would finish earlier, contrary to Chloe who started work at noon and would only be out of work later in the afternoon. This meant however, she would be late for their Friday night out when all three of them grabbed drinks together. 

The punk eventually got up to wash up and prepare some breakfast, coffee with bacon and eggs. The apartment was quiet apart from the sizzling of the bacon in the pan. A waft of smoke from the food, mixed with the aroma of the freshly brewed coffee reached Chloe and her stomach rumbled in response.

“Yeah, yeah I know.” She answered back only to have her stomach rumble louder. Rude.

Chloe took a sip of her coffee as she sat on a stool by the kitchen island when the food was finally ready. She used to tease Max about her insisting on getting good quality ground coffee and how hipster it was of her yet here she sat now enjoying a freshly brewed cup. Okay, she had to admit it tasted way better than instant store-bought one.

Chloe sighed in content. The stillness of the apartment no longer bothered her. Rewind a few years back and she would have blasted music to fill in the void as she couldn’t stand the loud thoughts running around in her head and needed to drown them out in any way possible. The silence had felt as if it had been smothering her but now she found that she could deal with it, even enjoy the few moments of being alone. 

When it was time to leave, Chloe quickly did the dishes and grabbed a beanie and headed out.

As it turned out, work was busy today and Chloe’s hopes for leaving earlier to be on time were crushed when a guy brought in his wrecked car. Bumper and front wheels completely demolished when he smashed his car into a crash barrier while trying to overtake the car in front of him. Thankfully the guy, despite being a bonehead, got away with a few scratches and bruises.

“Men and their fucking need to go fast and hard on everything.” Chloe mumbled to herself as she lay on a plastic creeper used to roll under a car. The comment was a bit ironic though coming from her, seeing how she used to drive when she had gotten her licence but that was beside the point. Now she would have to do damage control and on top of that, finish the rest of today's work. 

It was close to the end of her shift when Chloe heard Mike call her into his office. He had a stern face on which was not something unusual for him but the tone of his voice made Chloe’s anxiety skyrocket. Had she messed up somehow and was going to get the boot? This had been the longest job she had managed to keep and she actually liked it here. Loved working with her hands and trying to figure out what went wrong with the cars that came in and how to fix them. On top of that she had grown fond of Mike. Yeah, he could be a pain in the ass sometimes but Chloe respected him. He had become a sort of mentor to her. He could be harsh and call out her mistakes as they were but he never did it in a reproachful way. Instead, he would tell her the why and how of things so she could learn. They even shared a few cold beers after a long day's work, so to have him now look so serious out of the blue had Chloe worrying.

“Did something happen?” Chloe asked as she entered Mike’s office and sat across his desk.

“No. So how bad is the car they just brought in?” Mike said looking closely at Chloe.

Okay, something was definitely off and Chloe didn’t like it one bit.

“The front’s completely busted. The engine will have to be replaced along with the bumper and front wheels.”

“Hhmm. He won’t be happy to hear that. Then again, that’s his problem.” Mike spoke in a tone that showed he truly didn’t feel the slightest remorse for the guy.

“Yeah…” Chloe trailed off as she nervously played with her beanie that she had shoved in the pocket of her work overalls, not caring that her hands were covered in grease and black smudges, like black paint on a white canvas in an abstract painting. 

“Chloe.” Mike’s rough voice drew a pair of pale blues on him. “Do you know what day it is today?”

“Friday?” Chloe offered, looking up at Mike confused by the question.

“Right. But it’s a special Friday. You know why?”

“Mike, what’s this? Are we playing the 21-question game?” Chloe inquired, unable to hide her uneasiness any longer.

Mike gave her a pointed look and continued to talk without answering her question.

“Today marks one year since you started working here.”

Chloe’s eyes immediately flew to Mike’s face, taken aback. How could she have forgotten? Did this mean she would have to start looking for work elsewhere?

“Oh…I completely forgot.”

“I can see that.”

“Does that mean I have to start packing my shit?” Chloe finally said it out loud. Her hand clenching the fabric of her beanie as her heart raced at an unhealthy rate.

“What?! No! Where did that come from?” Mike sounded genuinely perplexed.

“You know I don’t really have a good record at keeping jobs and seeing how serious you were when you called me in…I thought…”

“No! It’s the exact opposite actually…” Mike said, now sounding a bit sheepish. “I just wanted to act all tough and mighty before telling you the good news. Sorry if I worried you kid.”

“Oh you jerk! Don’t ever do that to me again! Also, what good news?” Chloe sighed out in relief, realizing she had been holding her breath.

“Hey! I’m still your boss!” Mike shot back but it was clear from the small laugh that escaped him that he wasn’t mad.

“Sorry. Sooo, you gonna tell me?” Chloe apologised either way.

Mike seemed to take a more serious stance again however this time Chloe remained calm and listened to what the other had to say.

“Like I said, you’ve been here a year. I’ll admit that you were, and still can be, a handful.” Mike grinned when he saw Chloe's bashful smile. “I know that I can be tough on you sometimes and that it pissess you off but know that I only do it because… because I care Chloe. You know that I see a lot of my younger self in you. Unfortunately, we both have been through similar shit while growing up.” Mike paused for a moment as if to collect his thoughts. “I know it’s only been a year but I feel like I’ve known you for a lot more. What I’m trying to say is that I’m really proud of you kid. You’ve come a long way.” He said while taking something small out of the side drawer of his desk.

Chloe didn’t know what to say, she just sat there motionless. Unable to speak.

“I’ve never wanted kids but…” He hesitated for a moment, hand coming up to scratch at his seven-day stubble. Mike got up from his seat and walked to stand in front of Chloe who had gotten up too. “But I consider you as my own Chloe. That’s why I’m giving you this.” Mike placed something small and metallic in Chloe’s palm.

By now Chloe was on the brink of tears. A whirlpool of emotions stormed her mind as she looked down to find a silver key resting in her hand.

“It’s a spare to the garage. You can open and close shop and maybe slowly learn how to run such a business.” Mike said with a fond smile.

Chloe had to actually steady herself against the chair at hearing the purpose of this key. She had come in, believing she would be leaving the place yet here she stood with a key and Mike saying how proud he was and that he considered her as his own child. Chloe couldn’t hold the tears back as she lurched forward and wrapped her arms around Mike in the tightest embrace she could master.

Mike returned the hug, patting Chloe’s back as the punk refused to let go. She knew that no one could ever replace her father. William and Mike were night and day when it came to personalities but Mike's affection and care were equally genuine and Chloe had trouble rationalising everything she was feeling at the moment.

“I-I don’t know what to say…Are you sure?” Chloe finally managed to speak once she pulled back and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand only to smudge her face as well.

“Yes Chloe. I’m absolutely sure.”

“Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.”

Mike simply nodded and smiled affectionately as he scratched his chin and sniffled.

“Wait? Are those tears?!” Chloe asked in astonishment. 

“No way! You must be projecting or some shit!” Mike said, turning his back and going back to his seat.

“Mr.Tough guy is a big old care bear. Aaww.” Chloe teased.

“You know what? I’ve changed my mind. Give it back!” he said, stretching out his arm.

“Hell no! This is mine now!” Chloe made a fist with her hand and held the key tightly. “Does this mean I can go now?” Chloe tried.

Mike seemed to weigh his options but knew that Chloe had only about 15 minutes left of work so there was no point in keeping her.

“Just go! Oh and say hi to the girls for me!”

“You rock! And will do!” Chloe beamed at him and was out the door in a matter of seconds.

Chloe couldn’t wait to share the good news with her girlfriends as she drove home, drumming her fingers against the steering wheel as the radio blasted music through the speakers. When the punk arrived home, she made a beeline for the shower to wash off all the dirt and grease before getting ready to head out again. To be honest she did feel tired after running around all day at the garage but after receiving the key to the place she was as hyper as a child on a Christmas morning.

The pub was buzzing with people by the time Chloe walked through the front door. The place was made entirely of dark brown wood and its walls were decorated with a variety of trinkets and posters ranging from music to movie themes. The lamps that hang from the ceiling gave it a rustic feel while the bar displayed a variety of alcohols and beer from tap to bottled. Chloe did indeed appreciate the bar but what she loved most was the old jukebox at the far end of the pub that had a selection of old punk and rock songs. The punk made her way towards it, passing between people and squeezing through tables. She knew that Rachel and Max would have probably tried to save a table for them as close to it as possible.

Sure enough she found them sitting by a round table between the jukebox and the bar. _Ah yes, the sweet spot_. Chloe thought to herself smiling.

Max and Rachel were sitting close to each other, beer glass half empty on the table as they chatted away. They had their back to the entrance and so didn’t notice the blue haired punk when she came up behind them and wrapped one arm around Max and the other around Rachel, squeezing them tight and planting a big kiss on each of their cheeks.

“How are my girls doing this hella awesome night?” Chloe asked enthusiastically before taking the empty chair across from them.

“Hey you! You look extremely happy.” Rachel pointed out at seeing her girlfriend’s grin not wavering one second from her face.

“Happy doesn't even begin to describe it!” Chloe said as she eyed both of them.

“And the reason you are this indescribable ball of joy is…” Max prompted, now curious as to what could have gotten Chloe this excited.

“The reason is this little sucker.” Chloe said and took out her house keys and showed them the new addition to the keychain.

“A new key?” Max inquired confused. She cast a glance at Rachel only to see her equally puzzled.

“Not just any key. Mike gave this to me. It’s a spare to the garage.” Chloe said before explaining to them what had happened, feeling the same whirlpool of emotions again as she recalled the events and how her stomach swooped with joy at Mike’s words.

“Babe that is amazing!” Rachel cried out, ecstatic at having heard the news and at seeing Chloe so genuinely happy. She truly deserved this and she couldn’t have been more proud of her.

“Chlo that’s incredible!” Max exclaimed as both Rachel and her got up to congratulate Chloe, hugging and kissing her. Chloe’s smile split her face from ear to ear at being able to share this moment with the people she loved.

“Have you told Joyce yet?” Max asked when they all finally sat down again.

“Y-yeah. Of course.” Chloe said but when Rachel and Max gave her _The look_ she tried again. “I’ll call her first thing tomorrow morning.”

“That’s better.” Max smirked at Chloe who scowled defiantly at them.

“Careful there Max, getting a bit cocky, aren’t we?” Chloe teased as she rested her weight on one arm to lean in closer to Max, voice dropping a few octaves.

“What if I am?” Max flirted back, leaning in as well so her face was closer to Chloe’s.

“Then I’ll just have to teach you some manners.” Chloe dropped her eyes to Max’s lips and dragged them up again to lock on the pair of blues that were daring Chloe to lean in for that kiss.

“Oh I’m sure you’ve received plenty of lessons on manners from Rachel.” Max fired back and was thrilled when she saw a pink hue blossom on Chloe’s cheeks who unconsciously looked at Rachel.

The blonde coughed to mask her sudden outburst of laughter at seeing Chloe’s reaction. Max had completely managed to annihilate the punk on this round.

“Hey, don’t look at me! She speaks the truth. But please, do go on.” Rachel said with a mischievous smile as she rested her chin on her hand, loving every bit of this banter and where it was leading.

“I blame my good looks for your thirsty asses.” Chloe quipped after regaining her composure. “Now if you will excuse me, I need to get myself a beer and order some food cause I’m starving.” Chloe got up while still looking at Max, bringing her face inches away from the brunette. She lingered there, observing how Max’s eyes flew to her lips. Before the photographer could kiss her, Chloe pulled back.

“Oh come on! You’re a freaking tease!” Max protested at having lost the opportunity to kiss the other.

“And you love me for it.” Chloe winked at her but didn’t get to savour her victory for long as Rachel grabbed Max by the nape and pulled her in for a kiss, giving her what Chloe had denied.

“Dude, the point of all that was to teach her a lesson!” Chloe said when she saw Max’s content smile.

“Weren’t you going to get a beer babe?” Rachel shot the punk a challenging look, daring her to argue back.

Chloe sighed in resignation, knowing she couldn't compete against the two of them together so she just accepted defeat. “Do you guys need anything?” She asked. 

“No thanks, love.” Rachel answered while Max shook her head and so Chloe finally headed for the bar to get a nice cold beer and some food. She was famished since she hadn’t gotten the time to eat anything at work and she craved some fries with extra cheddar.

The bar was crowded with people so it took the bartender some time to come and get Chloe’s order. Since they were overworked and understaffed at the moment, he asked her if she minded waiting at the bar for her fries and beer. The punk said it wasn’t a problem as she paid for her order and started absentmindedly playing with a coaster that lay on the bar top. It was then, when she felt a presence next to her, that Chloe looked up to see a girl roughly her age, smiling at her. Chloe smiled back not wanting to be rude before returning to her very important task of spinning the coaster and seeing how long it would rotate. 

“Those are some mad skills.” The young woman commented, placing her drink next to Chloe. She was Chloe’s height with wavy golden-brown hair that reached her waist and a pair of pale green eyes that never left the punk.

“I know right? Took years of practicing.” Chloe responded sarcastically which resulted in the other woman laughing.

“I’m Alice by the way.”

“Chloe.”

“Chloe…I like it. Not a name you hear every day.” 

“Uum thanks I guess?”

“Would you like to join me for a drink?” Alice asked, her eyes gleaming with expectation.

“Nah, I’m good. I just ordered mine.”

“Then I’ll get you the next one and you can show me all your coaster flipping tricks.” Alice said as she leaned in closer to Chloe, her fingertips playing with the coaster Chloe had dropped.

The punk cast her gaze on Alice, eyebrow raised and chuckled. “I’m afraid I only show these tricks during special occasions.”

“Maybe this can become such an occasion?” Alice flirted in a voice smooth like honey. From the moment her eyes had fallen on blue strands of hair with a pair of blue eyes to match, Alice was hooked. 

Chloe didn’t fail to notice how Alice’s green eyes took in her features before landing on her lips and she really wished that Alice would have stopped at the first no and wouldn’t have to retort in saying that she wasn’t here alone. She just wanted to get her food and drink and go back to celebrating with her girlfriends. Now that she thought about it, where the hell were those fries? 

“Look, Alice thanks for the offer but I’m not interested.” Chloe answered, looking Alice straight in the eyes and then to the table where Rachel and Max sat. Alice followed her gaze only to see Rachel and Max looking back, surely wondering what was taking the punk so long.

“Oh I’m sorry. I didn’t realise you were here with someone.” Alice said while observing Max and Rachel.

“Yeah.” Chloe answered abruptly not feeling the need to give anymore explanation. She tapped her fingers against the bar in anticipation. Her mood lifted when she saw someone come out of the kitchen with some fries only to have them be served to a couple further down the bar. Chloe felt betrayed. _For fucks sake!_ She thought.

“Is one of your other cute friends free then?” Alice asked all of a sudden, bringing Chloe back from her mopping.

“What?! No!” Chloe shot back, disbelief painted all over her face at the brash question. “They’re both with me.” She quickly said and regretted it instantly, scolding herself mentally. Not because she was ashamed of it, she just simply didn’t feel the need to justify her answers.

“Oh? One wasn’t enough huh?” Alice pushed on, trying to pass it as a joke but Chloe caught the underlying passive aggressiveness. The punk glared at Alice in annoyance. She took a deep breath, refusing to have her night ruined by anyone. Thankfully, the bartender came back just as that thought passed her mind, apologising for the delay and handing Chloe her cold beer and a bigger serving of fries as a thank you for waiting so long. The smell of warm food immediately abated the punk’s irritation, deciding Alice wasn’t worth it.

“No, I have two hands don’t I? Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some fries to eat and two girlfriends to please.” Chloe flashed Alice a bright smile before leaving her at the bar alone and headed back to her girlfriends. 

“What was that all about?” Max asked when Chloe took her seat again.

“Looks like Chloe here might have broken a heart tonight.” Rachel replied for Chloe who was currently taking a big sip of her beer, enjoying the bitter taste of it.

“I don’t know about breaking any hearts but definitely breaking my balls.” The punk explained what went down both to Max’s and Rachel’s amusement at some people’s audacity.

“I won’t let anyone ruin your mood, tonight’s your night Chloe so here’s to you! We’re so proud of you babe!” Rachel said in a determined voice as she raised her glass.

“To Captain Chloe and her reign!” Max raised her glass as well.

“I’ll drink to that!” Chloe said with a big smile adorning her face. A sense of pride and pure happiness radiating from her as the news and what it meant began to settle in after the initial shock was starting to wear off.

“So does this newly bestowed power come with extra responsibilities?” Max asked, curious as to what Mike had in store for Chloe.

“I honestly don’t know yet. I’m sure I will have to do some boring paperwork and maybe get thrown into the horrifying and energy draining world of bureaucracy but hey, I am willing to sacrifice a few braincells if it means learning the bid-ness.” Chloe spoke as she observed Max and Rachel taking a few of her fries but not saying anything. For now.

“Mmm aren’t you in for a treat then.” Rachel said after taking one more fry and liking the melted cheese off her thumb.

“I honestly don’t know who to feel sorry for. You or the poor employee on the other end of the line who is assigned to your file.” Max mused as she too stole some food.

In the meantime, Chloe had been watching her two girlfriends steal her precious food with keen eyes. Waiting to see if they would actually have the decency to stop, however that didn’t seem like it was going to happen any time soon.

“Dudes! Back off!” She shooed their hands away. “I literally asked you a few minutes ago if you wanted anything from the bar and you both said no. Now deal with the consequences!”

“Yeah but that was before we knew how good they looked. All steamy and crunchy...” Max’s eyes widened, looking at the fries like they were the only thing that mattered in that room.

“Sounds like a _you_ problem babe.” Chloe teased and dragged the basket closer to her with a smug grin which faltered the second she saw Max’s disappointed face. Chloe closed her eyes and sighed in defeat. She had known from the moment that her relationship with Max had started shifting and feelings had begun to re-emerge that there was no way she could ever say no to those deep blue eyes. _You’ve become soft Price_. She thought but knew that she didn’t mind at all. Not when it came to Max and Rachel.

The punk groaned as she pushed the food back towards Max. “Here.” She said and felt a warm feeling bubble and threaten to pour out of her heart when she saw Max’s face light up again. It reminded her of a puppy. 

“You’re the best.” Max smiled and moved closer to hug and plant a kiss on the punk’s cheek.

“How about I just go and order another round of everything, so everyone is happy?” Rachel offered.

“I can’t drink more, I’m driving.” Chloe voiced her discontent wishing she could have had one more beer.

“Not this time. I’ll drive and you enjoy your night.” Rachel smiled when she saw Chloe beam at her.

“Have I told you how awesome you are?” The punk leaned in to plant a kiss on her lips, anticipating a fun night with her girls. 

When it was time to leave, the three women stood outside the pub as Chloe tapped the pockets of her ripped jeans in search of her packet of cigarettes. When she found it, she took one out before offering one to Rachel who gladly accepted. She didn’t ask Max as she knew that the photographer wasn’t a fan of smoking. Chloe brought the lighter close to Rachel who tilted her head to light her cigarette before lighting her own. 

The punk took a deep drag, enjoying the burn in her lungs and angling her head to the side to blow out the smoke away from Max’s direction.

Chloe had not been able to find somewhere close to the pub to park and had to settle for parking close to the pier which was about a twenty minutes’ walk from the pub. No one seemed to mind, and so Rachel suggested they take a detour and go for a walk by the sea.

The breeze that flew in from the ocean was a pleasant contrast to the hot atmosphere that lingered on even if it was well into the night of an August evening and Chloe welcomed it. She walked with Rachel on one side, her arm resting across the blonde’s shoulder while her other hand alternated between holding Max’s hand and flicking the ash off her cigarette. A comfortable silence had enveloped them as they walked to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore mixed with the chatter of passers-by. Chloe never believed she could feel this content in just one moment and from something as simple as this. Since the beginning of her teens she had learnt what real pain and loss meant. It had shaped her to be a person full of anger and hatred against a world that had shown its dark and ugly side way too early for a child to witness it. She had lashed out because she hadn’t wanted to admit that she felt scared and abandoned. It was better to simply not give a fuck. Looking back now, Chloe wasn’t very proud of some of her actions, but she had learnt to accept them and move forward.

By the time they arrived at the car, Chloe felt a sudden and strong urge to say what was on her mind or else she would explode.

“Love, are you alright?” Max asked when she saw the punk put out her cigarette quickly and fidget with her car keys.

“Yeah. The reality of it all just hit me again in the face. Shit hits hard.” Chloe joked as scratched her head over the black beanie she was wearing, trying to figure out the best way to voice her emotions and thoughts. “What I want to say is… I never thought that something like this would be possible and that I’d get to share it with you.” Chloe exchanged looks between Max and Rachel, feeling a light burn creep in her cheeks. “I love you both so much.” She said in such a serious tone that it even scared her at how profound this feeling ran inside her, making her heart pound against the confines of her chest.

“Chlo…” Max breathed out and without putting too much thought into it, stepped forward, placing her hands on either side of Chloe’s cheeks, and pulled her in for a deep kiss. Chloe’s stomach swooped while her heartbeat felt like a hammer against her chest at the feel of soft lips pressed hard against hers.

When Max parted from the kiss and stepped back, the punk barely had any time to recover and open her eyes before she felt herself be pulled into another kiss that wasn’t any less intense but Chloe could tell by the way the other took control that it was Rachel kissing her and not Max again.

“Wow.” Chloe stood there bereft of any other words once Rachel let go of her lips, trying to remember who and where she was, the tingling sensation of their kiss still lingering on her lips.

“In case that wasn’t clear enough, we love you too.” Rachel spoke in a soft voice.

“Hhmm now that I think about it, I might need some more convincing.” Chloe smirked.

“Oh trust me, once we get home I guarantee you won’t have any doubts. Isn’t that right Max?” Rachel said in an alluring voice. Her hazel eyes turning a shade darker, leaving no room for misinterpretation as they moved from Chloe to Max.

“I believe you’ll find us very convincing.” Max joined in with a smirk catching the side of her lips as she also looked at Chloe with hunger in her eyes, leaving the punk feeling flustered by their words and looks and wishing she possessed the power of teleportation so she could zap them in her room.

“So ready to get going?” Chloe asked, sounding a bit too eager. She gave her car keys to Rachel who had her arm outstretched ready to take them.

“I’m sorry to spoil the fun but can you just hold on for five more minutes? I really need to go grab some water from that convenient store across the street. Sorry.” Max apologized again, feeling bad for potentially ruining the mood but she needed to drink some water desperately. Her throat felt coarse like sandpaper every time she spoke.

“No problem. Oh and babe could you get me another pack of cigarettes while you’re at it? I’m out.” Chloe pouted knowing it was the only way to get Max to buy her cigarettes since the brunette wasn’t keen on fuelling her addiction.

“Alright, stop looking at me like that.” Max caved in which resulted in Chloe giving her an unnecessarily loud kiss on the cheek, making the photographer giggle.

“I swear to God you two just love coaxing each other into getting what you want.” Rachel remarked even though she found it highly entertaining.

“Hey! Not my fault if Max here gets a hard-on every time I bat my eyelashes at her and she’s willing to do what I ask.” Chloe said with a devilish grin as she interlocked her hands behind her head and leaned against her car.

“I do not!” Max’s mouth dropped open. She shoved Chloe’s shoulder and sent the punk and Rachel into a laughing fit. “You guys are the worst.” Max said and turned away to head to the convenience store.

“Point made!” Chloe shouted behind her to which the photographer answered by flipping her off without looking back.

“Have I told you how happy I am for you?” Rachel said once they were alone as she rested her weight against the side of the car. Chloe came and stood in front of her, leaning in to trap the blonde between her arms and rested her forehead against her girlfriend's. She, in turn, placed her arms on Chloe's shoulders, hands coming up to caress the punk's nape, fingers playing with the blue strands of hair that poked out of the beanie.

“Thanks Rach.” Chloe said under her breath. She tilted her head to the side, giving herself a better angle to lean in and kiss Rachel. The kiss was gentle at first, slow as Chloe dragged her lips against dark red-coated lips but as time passed it grew in intensity, tongue swiping over Rachel’s lower lip before nibbling on it. A weak moan escaped the model which only served as fuel for Chloe to deepen the kiss, dipping her tongue into Rachel’s mouth to taste her.

Chloe pressed her body firmly against the blonde. Her hands moving from where they supported her weight on the car to land on the model’s waist and squeeze with force. Rachel moaned into the kiss again, hands grabbing a fistful of hair and fabric. Chloe got a special kind of kick out of hearing those sounds and it always turned her on faster than striking a match.

The punk kissed her way past the jawline and down to Rachel’s neck, tongue swiping over her pulse point before biting down.

“Chloe…” Rachel breathed out, feeling a fiery need ignite inside her, spreading like wildfire. She should really control her voice seeing how they were still at the open-air parking lot. It was relatively secluded but still out in the open.

At the sound of her name, the punk looked up, holding gaze with a pair of piercing eyes the colour of copper dust in which she could get lost in. Because those were the exact same eyes that had come to her rescue all those years ago at the old mill when she had gotten into a fight with two drunk pricks and out of all people to show up and help her she had been expecting Rachel the least. The all-star pupil with a bright future had been there with her, throwing a beer bottle at one of the guys to help them escape and later on, had moshed together to the music of the punk band. These were the same eyes that Chloe had fallen fast and hard for all those years back. They belonged to the person who had kissed her under a street lamp and had made her teenage heart nearly stop in its track. But they were also the same ones that had caused her so much pain and confusion when she had found out about Frank and the drugs. Chloe did not want to think about that again, she was glad it was over. They all had made bad decisions and mistakes during those harsh times. It was in the past now.

Rachel must have sensed something was off from the light crease on Chloe’s brow as she breathed in deeply, eyes never wavering from hers for even a second. The model slowly brought her hand to cup her girlfriends face and gently caress her cheek with her thumb. She didn’t ask what was going through her mind, just spoke those four little words that she knew would quell the other’s brooding storm of emotions because she meant them.

“I love you Chloe.” Rachel said in a low but vehement voice against Chloe’s lips. Both of them moved in sync then, lips meeting in a powerful kiss. It was Rachel’s way of conveying her feelings not only via words but through an action as well.

Chloe swallowed a whimper that threatened to rise and spill out from her throat because she had no doubt Rachel meant what she said, and this had been an emotional day to say the least.

“Sorry for making you wait. I got-“ Max said as she walked up to them while searching her bag only to stop mid-sentence when she saw her two girlfriends making out by the car. “I guess you didn’t mind waiting then.” She joked.

“Not at all.” Rachel responded with a big smile before checking in the car's side mirror if her lipstick was still on and she didn’t look like a 6-year old had done her makeup.

“Didn’t know which brand of fancy water to buy?” Chloe teased as she straightened her beanie from where it had slipped off to the side.

“Don’t get me started on that! $5 for a bottle of water?! Apart from hydrating you, does it give you clear skin and boost your sexlife?” Max said in bewilderment and annoyed at having to actually search for a normal priced bottle.

“I don’t know about clear skin but I’m pretty sure you already have an amazing sexlife.” Chloe said with a cocky smile and nonchalantly pretended to examine her fingers, loving the light spread of pink on the brunette’s cheeks.

“Rachel, please.” Max looked at the blonde desperately, seeking for any sort of help. Rachel smiled innocently before lightly whacking the back of Chloe’s head who shouted in protest.

“Thank you!” Max grinned in satisfaction. “Anyway. I was weak and bought some snacks and then the cashier started chatting me up and was taking forever to scan the things.” She explained why it had taken more time than usual to return.

“First Chloe, now you Max? Should I start getting worried? I can’t blame them for being attracted to you. But, you are _mine_.” Rachel wasn’t one to usually show her possessive side outside of bed as she had complete trust in her girlfriends and never felt the need to show teeth unless necessary. That wouldn’t have been true in her late teens however, when she had been used to getting what she wanted and didn’t like when other people showed interest and tried to acquire what she considered was hers. But life had given her a big wake up call when she almost died and that had made her reconsider a lot of things about her behaviour and the people she dealt with.

On the other hand, Chloe and Max weren’t going to lie, they secretly liked when the other got a bit possessive over them.

“So how about we get going so Max and I can start _convincing_ you of just how much we love you.” Rachel said as she opened the driver door and got in, starting the engine which brought the old car to life but also Max and Chloe who rushed to get in by the passenger’s door, filled with excitement and anticipation for what promised to be a very pleasurable night. 

Chloe should have really known better than to question Rachel’s ingenuity. The blonde had a knack for coming up with ideas that were purely conceptualised to torture her in the sweetest way possible and since Max was added to the equation, Rachel seemed to thrive. It also did help that by now Max had come out of her shell and her full personality was on display.

The punk gritted her teeth as her hands balled into fists, gripping the bed sheets while trying to ease her breathing. The rule was simple. She wasn’t allowed to come until Rachel said so. Pretty straightforward right? Wrong. Because it was nearing thirty minutes now that Chloe lay in bed with Max between her legs, languidly eating her out. Tongue alternating between slipping inside Chloe and swirling around her clit. With every dip, every flick, Max chipped away at Chloe’s resolve.

The only fine thread that held Chloe together was the idea that Max wasn’t faring any better as she had to follow a similar and simple rule as well: under no circumstances was she allowed to drop her hips on the mattress from where she was sprawled on, knees parted and ass in the air while the upper half of her body was flat against the mattress, as a vibrating egg that Rachel had put inside her, massaged her inner walls. 

By now the three had slept together enough times for Max to feel at ease and know what it was like to have two pairs of eyes on her, however this time it felt slightly different but definitely not in a bad way. And it was all because there were so many things happening at once that Max’s brain wasn’t sure what to register first. Her entire body was pulsing with restless energy as the vibrations from the toy sent wave after wave of pure bliss over her. 

Yet, for Max what made this whole situation even more thrilling was not only the fact that she had the taste of Chloe on her tongue and could feel the punk tense beneath her but it was also the knowledge that Rachel was sitting by the headrest of the bed; in nothing but a grey plaid shirt open in the middle and touching herself while watching _them_ closely. It had Max feel like she was constantly crashing through new levels of pleasure with no end in sight.

As if by some mind reading powers that allowed Rachel to read Max’s mind and see her struggle, she decided in that moment to switch the settings to max vibrations. 

Max thought her legs would give out as they buckled and nearly dropped on the mattress. A guttural moan ripped from her throat that only served to draw one out of Chloe who felt the aftershock on her clit that Max had been sucking on. The brunette thought she heard Rachel chuckle but right now, she couldn’t be certain for anything because her eyes were watering from the sheer amount of strength she was showing to not rub her clit against the sheets. She was _so_ close to them; all it would take was just one small roll of her hips to alleviate the painful throbbing between her legs.

“Don’t even think about it baby. Unless you don’t want to come for the rest of the evening, I suggest that sweet ass of yours goes back up.” Rachel reprimanded Max when she saw her legs tremble and nearly fall on the bed, a smile returning to her lips when the brunette obeyed albeit the heated look she cast Rachel.

The model hummed in satisfaction as she ran thin fingers through wet folds, eyes trained on her two partners in front of her. Slowly but decisively, Rachel pushed two fingers inside and pressed her palm down on her clit. She bit on her bottom lip at the light stretch as she started moving them with ease, her mind inebriated from the rush her control over Max and Chloe gave her.

“Rachel…please-mm-“ Chloe’s muffled plea drew Rachel’s eyes to the punk’s face from where she had been intently watching Max’s tongue run along slick folds while she fucked herself on her own fingers.

“You want to come don’t you?” Rachel asked, sounding borderline amused.

“So fuckin’ bad.” Chloe managed to say through gritted teeth as her heart hammered in her chest when she noticed where Rachel’s fingers were and the fiery look in those hazel eyes that were trained on her.

“I told you before. Nobody gets to come before _I_ do.” And with that, Rachel retracted her fingers before speaking again. “Max babe, why don’t you go be a good girl and get strapped in. As for you, I have an idea to get your mind off things.” She said while smirking as she opened her legs, making it abundantly clear what she expected of Chloe.

Max nodded vigorously while the punk turned to lie on her belly and scooched up to rest between the blonde’s legs. Initially, Max had never seen, let alone used, a strap-on before these two devils entered her life. The first time trying one on had ended up with the three bent over with laughter as Max attempted to figure out what strap went where; she had wanted to do it herself without any help, only to mix up the harnesses and when both Rachel and Chloe jumped in to help the result was Max sporting a sad boner, with the curved tip of the dildo facing downward and the straps all twisted up. Despite the initial embarrassment she felt, the brunette hadn’t been able to keep a straight face when all three women eyed the dejected toy before looking at each other and bursting out laughing. It had also taken her some time to learn the ropes, how to set a good pace, how fast or hard she could go but thankfully both her girlfriends had been more than eager to provide her with all the practice she needed. 

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Rachel arched her eyebrow at Chloe as she pushed her long hair back and out of the way of her field of vision, wanting to make sure she didn’t miss out on the show.

By now, Chloe was far too out of it to fire back a response, her brain swirling in a cocktail of lust and frustration from not being allowed to get the release she so desperately needed. Despite that, the punk lowered her head and ran her tongue over glistening folds which earned her a satisfied moan from Rachel, who ran her hand through blue locks of hair, pushing them out of Chloe’s face. 

The punk had been too focused on sinking her tongue inside Rachel to notice the movement behind her and the dip in the bed, until she felt a light smack on her thigh, signalling her to part her legs and push her ass up in the air, mirroring Max’s stance from earlier. All this she did without once pulling away from Rachel but that instantly changed when she felt the tip of a lube-coated dildo brush against her entrance before slowly sliding in and only stopping when she had taken half the length.

“Holly shit!” Chloe groaned as she rested her head on Rachel’s thigh and breathed in deeply.

“Colour?” Max asked, leaning over the punk to check in on her, some of the worry spilling out of her voice, afraid she had gone too fast, seeing how this particular toy was a bit thicker than the one they normally used.

The colour scheme had also been an entirely new element to Max, who had asked about it one night, still early on in their relationship, when the three had slept together and Chloe had mouthed yellow in the middle of Rachel using a vibrator at full power on her after the punk had already come twice. It was later that evening that Max found out the meaning behind the colour code; green was a go, yellow slow down and red stop immediately.

She had also learnt all the extra fun layers that existed in sex but they came with a set of strict rules that Chloe and Rachel explained to Max in detail, because above all else, the safety and well-being of their partner came in first place. Gradually she had discovered what she liked or wasn’t really into and now, with Chloe shivering in front of her as she turned her head to lock eyes with Max, pale blues swimming in vulnerability and desire, Max was certain she would give her anything and everything she asked for. 

“G-green. Need you to move. Fuck, Max _please_.”

Max wasn’t sure if she had ever heard Chloe sound so desperate. It lit a fire in the pits of her stomach and the visual of the punk bent in front of her, eating Rachel out whose stare alone could have melted both of them on the spot, was like liquid heat surging through her veins.

After a few experimental thrusts, Max found a good rhythm to pound in fast and short succession into Chloe who was reduced to a moaning mess but nonetheless, refused to give up and stop fucking Rachel with her tongue.

“Oh fuck! Max keeping fucking her like that.” Rachel gasped before speaking with a commanding tone in her voice. She had felt every vibration of Chloe’s moans against her clit when the punk wrapped her lips around the very sensitive bud and the blonde simply wanted more.

And so Max did just that, picking up the pace and driving the silicone dildo a bit deeper, eliciting such guttural moans from Chloe that only spurred her on more despite starting to feel a slow burn in her muscles and her brown hair stick to her temple.

“Holly _fuuck!_ Chlo, you’re gonna- _ah_ make me come.” Rachel managed to say as she felt her orgasm approach at a frightening speed. The sight of Max holding Chloe by the hips as she fucked her hard while the punk ate her out was a good justification as to why she was so close so fast. She had to give it to Chloe though; Rachel had been edging her for more than half an hour and now Max was taking her from behind yet not once did the punk falter.

By now, Chloe was hanging by the threads, she had no idea for how long she could last and the only thing keeping her going was her mind repeating the words _Make Rachel Come_ like a mantra.

All it took for the model to topple over the edge was Chloe sucking on her clit hard before locking her eyes with a panting Max who had not once looked away from the display in front of her.

Rachel felt her entire body seize up as she clenched her fist around blue locks of hair while her orgasm coursed through her body, leaving her with a pleasant buzz.

Under any other circumstances, Chloe would have continued to draw out Rachel’s orgasm for as long as possible, maybe even try to coax a second one from her, but this time the moment she felt Rachel come Chloe pulled back and dropped her head on the mattress, hands balled in white-knuckle fists around the bed sheets.

“R-Rach, please. I c-can’t- _AH_ ” Her speech was interrupted by a particularly hard thrust that made her see fucking stars. “Hold…a-anymore. I-” Chloe stammered as she fought to form coherent sentences and kept choking on words that barely made any sense to her. The need for release so overpowering she felt like even breathing came in second place. Her body was taught like a twisted bow string that was about to snap.

“Come for us baby.” Rachel gave her permission in a smooth voice.

Not a second passed since the words left Rachel’s mouth and Chloe’s hand darted between her legs to find her clit and apply pressure. All it took was just two flicks of her wrist for Chloe to come with a muffled cry, her face pressed against the bed as her entire body shook from the sheer force of her release.

Chloe had no sense of time or place. Her mind no longer controlled her body’s movements as her hand continued to frantically rub her clit while Max, diligent Max, never once stopped driving the dildo inside her and Chloe honestly had absolutely no fucking idea if she came twice or this euphoric feeling was just a prolonged first orgasm. The only thing she did know was that her hand and most likely Max’s thighs were completely wet and that her legs could no longer support the lower half of her body.

The punk collapsed on the bed, heaving for air only to realise that at some point she must have bit into the bed sheets as well and was probably one of the reasons why she had trouble breathing.

Slowly but steadily, Chloe felt Max pull out before the brunette collapsed as well beside her, panting.

“Fucking hell. That was one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen.” Rachel broke the silence that had settled over them while the two women in front of her caught their breath. She’d be lying if she said that the show she had front row seats for, hadn’t sparked the fire inside her again but before she did something about it, she had other priorities to attend to.

Rachel leaned to the side and reached for a large bottle of water she had placed on her nightstand and offered it to Max who had already recovered and wiggled out of the strap.

“Thanks.” She said before taking three big sips of water.

“Chloe baby, are you with us?” Rachel moved to sit by the punk and helped her sit up, tucking blue locks of hair behind her ear and out of pale blue eyes that weren’t as glazed over as a few minutes ago. 

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure Max just tried to fuck the devil out of me.”

At hearing that, the photographer choked on her water from stifling her laugh before offering the water bottle to Chloe who gladly accepted and nearly emptied the whole thing.

“Did I succeed?” Max finally asked.

“You came close, I guess you’ll just have to try again…” Chloe joked and cast a flirtatious look at the brunette.

“Speaking of coming…Max, are you good?” Rachel turned to face her as well, hazel eyes roaming over freckled-scattered skin.

“I-um no, couldn’t get there.” Max said averting her gaze momentarily, still feeling wound up despite their small break.

“Well we can’t have that now, can we?” Rachel smirked and took her former position only this time fully lying down on the bed and motioning Max to come over.

“Move up.” Rachel gave Max’s ass a light smack when the brunette straddled her hips.

“Oh… you mean…” Max blinked at Rachel’s smug face.

“Yes Max, I want you to sit on my face.” Rachel stated and didn’t try to hide how pleased she looked when Max turned a wonderful shade of pink.

As Max lowered herself down, Rachel wrapped her arms around the brunette’s thighs for a better hold and wasted no time, going directly for Max’s clit and running the flat of her tongue against the sensitive bud.

“Rachel!” Max moaned her girlfriend’s name as her head fell forward, blue eyes trained on the woman between her legs while her hips began a gradual roll, trying to win as much of the contact as possible.

The brunette was steadily losing herself in the pleasure that Rachel was drawing out of her with every flick of her tongue when she felt a second warm body press against her back and a pair of hands caress their way up from her hips, up and up until they were cupping her breast and taking the left nipple between slender fingers. 

Chloe seemed to have recovered enough to want to participate and so had moved to take her spot behind Max and run her hands over soft, pale skin. What she hadn’t accounted for though, was the effect the oscillating motion of Max’s hips would have on her as they pressed her ass against Chloe’s already sensitive clit.

The punk hissed at the contact and squeezed harder on Max’s breast and like a domino effect, elicited a moan from the brunette. However, despite the initial discomfort, Chloe found herself in pursuit of that friction which, to her surprise, was starting to get her worked up once more.

With the fire being rekindled inside her so did her teasing side and Chloe knew exactly how to put it to good use. She started placing small kisses along the length of Max’s shoulder, inching ever closer to her neck until she was nibbling on a sensitive spot right under the brunette’s ear.

Max couldn’t hold her voice back this time, one hand automatically flying out to hold onto blue strands of hair while the other flew down to land on blonde. A gasp tore through her throat when Chloe’s teeth grazed against her skin and sent a bolt of electricity to land right on her clit, which was currently between Rachel’s lips.

Max’s brain was struggling to register the multitude of sensations it was being assaulted with. Rachel’s tongue had made a strong come-back as the blonde swiftly swirled it around her clit. Chloe’s hands were still running rampant all over her body and she could feel the punk grinding up against her ass. And just when Max believed there was no way any more of her senses could skyrocket into overdrive, Chloe bit down just below her ear before feeling the punk’s next words brush on her skin which she was certain was burning as hot as the sun.

“How does it feel to have Rachel’s tongue inside you?” Chloe spoke in a playful tone but loud enough to be sure that the blonde could hear her as well before continuing. “I’m pretty sure it feels fuckin’ fantastic.” The punk smirked when she felt Max’s entire body tremble and shiver under her hold. “It’s good to know that apart from barking out orders, she can put it to good use.” Chloe made sure she locked eyes with Rachel when those words left her mouth.

Rachel on the other hand, shot her a blazing look as her eyebrows furrowed but other than that she was too preoccupied to be able to retort and wipe off the smug smile Chloe was sporting.

“R-rachel, Chloe…I-Oh God…” Max’s moans cut through their little power showdown like a hot knife slices butter, drawing two pair of eyes back on her. Orgasm finally in sight after all this wait, Max couldn’t stop it even if she tried. Just a bit more and…

Every nerve ending lit up when Chloe bit down on her neck the exact moment Rachel sucked on her clit as her tongue simultaneously swirled around it. Max clenched her fist on blue and blonde hair, holding on for dear life as she came hard. The muscles of her thighs trembled as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her and she felt like her brain was soaring above the clouds. She was grateful Chloe was behind her to keep her upright because Max wasn’t entirely sure that she would have been able to hold her own weight.

At first, Rachel made no attempt to move when she felt Max shiver above her. On the contrary she stayed there until she saw Max had regained her breath all the while running her tongue up the brunette’s thigh to clean her up, humming at the taste and how her girlfriend quivered whenever she took her in her mouth.

“Damn Rachel.” Chloe bit down on her lip as she kneeled back to allow Max to get off the blonde. “I wanna go for a ride too.” She said after seeing the blissed-out state Max was in and already having worked herself up from grinding against her.

“Ride’s closed for the night.” Rachel shot back before stretching the muscles in her jaw, feeling them ache with every movement. “Although, I hella need to come again.” The model admitted as she run her fingers through her sex, only to have them come back wet. Having had Max above her, writhing from something she was doing to her had started a fire in the pits of Rachel’s belly that spread faster than a forest fire.

“Say no more!” Chloe scrambled to get the strap that Max had used on her and fastened it on without wasting any time. “You good?” The punk paused for a moment to check in on the brunette who was lying next to Rachel with her forearm covering her eyes.

“Y-yeah. Just need a minute to remember what it feels like to have legs again.” Max said and felt Rachel chuckled beside her.

“You’re welcome.” The blonde pecked Max on the cheek before turning her attention back to Chloe who was now hovering above her and lining the dildo to her entrance.

“Mmm… _Fuck_.” Rachel groaned when she felt Chloe finally slip inside, her arms coming up to pull the punk down and seal their lips as Chloe bottomed out.

Chloe started thrusting languidly while littering Rachel’s neck with kisses. She would have gone harder, but her energy levels were critically low and so decided to take it slow by rolling her hips and meeting Rachel halfway as the blonde wrapped her legs around the punk’s waist and moved in sync with her.

Rachel usually preferred things a bit more fast-paced but even she had to admit that this was nice. It gave her the time to feel Chloe’s warm body pressed against hers and notice every little shift or feel the puffs of hot air on her skin as Chloe placed kiss after kiss on her neck and shoulder. It allowed Rachel to run her fingers through blue locks with one hand and down the dip of the punk’s spine with the other, feeling the muscles move beneath her fingertips as Chloe grinded against her.

“Chloe…” Rachel breathed out when a particular deep roll hit a spot inside her that had the blonde squeezing her legs tighter around the other’s waist.

The punk looked up upon hearing her name, hand coming up from where it had been resting on Rachel’s hip to cup the blonde’s cheek and lean in for a tender kiss.

It was in that moment, when Rachel was gradually losing herself in the kiss, that she felt another pair of lips on the side of her neck and soon Chloe’s lips were replaced by Max’s as the punk broke the kiss and rested her weight on her forearms, making space for the brunette to get closer. 

With every swipe of Max’s tongue and every roll of Chloe’s hips, Rachel could feel the taut coil in the pits of her belly twist and tighten with every passing second. The tension building and building until the air in her lung was as thin as the cord keeping her together and maintaining a proper kiss became a thing of the past. 

Max broke the kiss shortly after and immediately took Chloe’s lips, tongue swiping the roof of the punk’s mouth who physically shivered by the intensity of it. 

Seeing her two partners make out just inches from her face and the constant pressure on all the right spots applied by the dildo was enough to sever the string and for Rachel to come with her girlfriend’s names spilling from her mouth.

“Chloe…Max…Oh fuck-“ Rachel couldn’t finish her sentence. Her breath caught in her throat as she threw her head back in pure ecstasy. It was as if every cell in her body had come to life and was dancing to the tempo of her erratic heartbeat.

Chloe and Max broke apart when they heard Rachel call out to them, watching closely as the woman in front of them trembled with her release. How the muscles in her neck strained as they arched to support her head, how her blonde hair fanned over the pillow like a gold halo and how the faintest of smiles appeared on Rachel’s lips as she savoured the remainder of her orgasm.

For Chloe, the visual alone was enough to tip her over the edge. Rachel digging her nails in her back and dragging them along the length of her spine was just the cherry on the top. This orgasm wasn’t as intense as the first but it was enough to have her vision momentarily blur and force her to rest her forehead on Rachel’s shoulder while Max's fingers combed through her ruffled hair and massaged her scalp as she rode out her high before her arms finally gave out under her weight and the punk collapsed on the blonde.

“Hmpf.” Rachel grunted under the extra weight.

“Gimmie a m’nute. Gon’ move.” Chloe’s voice came muffled from where she rested, face hidden in the nook of Rachel’s neck as exhaustion fully settled in and every limb felt like it was embedded with lead. 

Max fondly smiled at them before gingerly pulling Chloe towards her body so the punk would roll off Rachel and removing the strap for her since it seemed Chloe wasn’t about to start moving anytime soon.

In the meantime, Rachel had gotten up to wash off and bring a warm piece of wet cloth to wipe down Chloe who hummed in appreciation.

“Mmm feels nice.” She drawled, barely keeping her eyes open.

“Come here.” Max said as she turned to her and indicated for Chloe to shuffle closer when Rachel was done.

Max placed a small kiss on the punk’s head who snuggled closer and rested her arm on Max’s waist. Before sleep finally took her, Chloe felt a third warm body come and lie down behind her to cuddle her and wrap an arm around her middle.

“Love you both, so much.” Chloe managed to say in a sleep-coated voice before finally giving in to fatigue.

“We love you too.” Rachel answered in a soft voice before planting a kiss on the punk’s shoulder and feeling Max squeeze her hand that lay between Chloe’s and the brunette’s bodies.

Chloe fell into a deep sleep with a smile on her face, surrounded by warmth and her two favourite people. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there is one thing you can take out of this, it’s the betrayal I feel when I see food coming out of the kitchen only to be served at a different table.  
> Oh and stay hydrated my dudes!


	9. Guilty (for your love)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How about that? The update falls on Valentine's!  
> This was sooooo fun to write, enjoy ;)

The night was still young when Max and Rachel left their apartment, heading downtown to a local bar that hosted live nights where small bands of any kind could perform. It was Saturday after all and neither wanted to stay cooped up.

A week had passed since Mike had given Chloe the key to the garage and after talking on the phone with Joyce, whose shouts of joy could be heard pouring out the speaker when Chloe had told her the news, had demanded Chloe come visit to celebrate. And so, the punk had left for four days, to go visit her mother. Both women loved seeing Chloe overcome her reluctance to return to Arcadia Bay and spend time with Joyce, even if that included David as well.

The couple walked hand in hand towards their destination to meet up with their group of friends. When all three had arrived in L.A neither of them knew anyone here although it had come as no surprise when after a few weeks Rachel was already meeting people for coffee. But even she herself had admitted that there was no real connection and that she was just mingling in, which for her came naturally, she was after all the epitome of a social butterfly.

Now here they were, entering the bar to meet up with people they could call real friends and to Max’s utmost joy, one of them was Warren. He was truly one of her best friends and she couldn’t believe that he had also moved here. She always teased him how out of place he looked in L.A but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

The other three people were Conor, Seth and Lara. Max had met Seth at the photography workshop she part-timed and had gradually become great friends. She was glad to see more people of colour get a chance to work at such studios and not just white rich boys that thought they owned the place. As for Lara, she was one of Rachel’s few good friends she had met on set of a photoshoot; the assistant of one of the photographers. Finally, Conor who had brought his car in for a quick check at the garage Chloe worked and had kicked it off immediately with the punk seeing how he was also heavily tattooed and liked Chloe’s ink. Neither of the group of friends knew each other beforehand but one day they had all gone out together after Rachel had suggested it and had all just clicked.

Max and Rachel slowly made their way towards the back of the bar that had now become their hang-out. It was the warmth that radiated off the place in combination with the gold lights and the laughter of the patrons that had initially drawn them in the first time they passed by and heard music seep out of the double wooden doors. Now, the stage at the far end of the bar was being set up. People working with smiles on their faces as they anticipated the performance later on in the evening.

A shrill whistle cut through the chatter of the bar as Max and Rachel approached the group.

“Ladies! You’re on fire tonight!” Lara shouted from across the table, she and the rest had saved for them.

“You know it!” Rachel responded breaking into a smile.

And it was true, the clothes weren’t something extravagant but there was no denying that they both drew people’s attention. Although, Max always believed that it was mostly for Rachel who naturally exuded a captivating aura which made it impossible to not look her way.

The blonde wore a tight red plaid skirt with high black boots and a crop top, dark red lipstick adorning her lips, while Max had a pair of dark grey skinny jeans, a loose ochre shirt tucked in a French tuck and had applied some light black eyeliner that brought out her blue eyes. To complete the look, she had thrown on Chloe’s black leather jacket.

Despite Rachel’s dazzling looks, Max couldn’t help but notice how the model shot sideway glances at her, eyes drifting over the exposed skin of her collar bones. She wasn’t going to lie. It was a big confidence boost to have those hazel eyes on her.

The night flowed by pleasantly, filled with the laughter of the group. Max had at some point gotten into a huge debate with Warren about a certain B movie called ‘’Ninja Terminator’’ that neither Rachel nor their friends knew or ever wanted to find out about.

Regardless of the small intervals in which the two women would get caught up in conversation with one or two of their friends, the flirting never stopped. Each of them stealing side glances or a light touch here and there; be it a gentle squeeze on the arm or a caress on the leg.

To be honest, the alcohol wasn’t helping much either as Max registered every graze against her skin and realised it was having double the effect it would normally have on her. The brunette knew that Rachel had a certain power over both her and Chloe and wasn’t afraid to use it, which really wasn’t fair. But Max wasn’t as shy as she used to be when they first met in Arcadia Bay, sure she wasn’t as open about her flirting as Chloe or Rachel were but that didn’t mean she couldn’t play the game.

Max taped into that hidden confidence of hers, the alcohol making it easier to drop some of her inhibitions. She wasn’t drunk, far from it, just more…relaxed.

Discretely she lowered her hand under the table and placed it on Rachels exposed thigh to lightly caress the delicate skin with her thumb in hopes of drawing the other’s attention. _Bless the short skirt_ she thought to herself.

At first Rachel didn’t show any sign of acknowledgement, she was an excellent actress after all, even though her eyes did cast down to the warm hand resting on her leg for a few seconds but never to the other woman.

Fine, if that’s how it was going to be Max would have to up her game. It was the perfect opportunity to get revenge for all those occasions Rachel teased her in public and made her want to combust on the spot and of course Chloe would only encourage her and smirk while Max was trying to keep a straight face. Assholes.

And so, the young photographer slowly trailed her hand further up the actresses’ thigh, fingers barely touching skin and with the slightest hint of nails scraping gently. She travelled up, as much as the skirt would allow, which was pretty high up thanks to the way she was sitting cross legged and landed her hand on Rachel’s inner thigh.

Rachel had to discretely clear her throat but still she didn’t spare a look towards the other’s direction. Max wasn’t dissuaded, smiling gently and looking away from Rachel she squeezed her hand, until her nails were digging in soft skin.

Rachel knew she was a goner when she felt a sudden heat wash over her and nestle in her core. This time she did cast a curious and borderline challenging look at Max, who just continued to smile at her as she dragged her nails down her thigh and eliciting a full-body shiver from the blonde. Oh, she loved these games and was thrilled to see Max initiate one, however she had underestimated how well the photographer could be at it.

 _Fuck_ thought Max as she noticed Rachel’s change in posture. How her back straightened and the muscles in her shoulders tensed. This was more intoxicating than the alcohol in her drink.

Despite Max’s efforts and thinking she was discrete; their little mischievousness hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Oh would you two just fuck already!” Conor declared with a smirk on his face. 

“Wouldn’t you like to watch?” Rachel replied with a smug smile. Meanwhile, Max’s confidence evaporated just as quickly as it had appeared after being caught.

“Are you offering?” Conor wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

“No!” Max interrupted before Rachel could answer.

“You suck! At least send some pictures?”

Max had a deadpan look in her eyes as she stared down both Conor and Rachel, who was grinning.

“The answer is still no Conor.” Max was used to his antics; she had had training from Chloe’s cheeky sense of humour. No wonder those two got along so well. “Why don’t you ask Bryan to send you some?”

Conor looked shaken for a bit but recovered quickly at hearing that name.

“We broke up.” He said sounding a little uneasy.

“What? When? Why didn’t you tell us?” Max blurted out.

“It’s okay. It wasn’t a bad break up. We talked and decided to end it. I really am alright guys. Promise.” He insisted, not wanting to make his friends worry too much because it was true. Yes, it still hurt but after talking they had ended on good terms.

Everyone had stopped to listen. They all looked at each other but decided not to push it.

“Just know that we’re here if you want to talk.” Rachel said, which had everyone nodding in agreement.

“Thanks. But now I’m free as a bird. And I am ready to be seduced by any human being.”

To that everybody laughed. Conor was the type of person that always saw the positive side of things in life. It drew people to him. It was why the three women loved him so much. After all the darkness in their past, he was like a breath of fresh air in their lives.

“Anyway! Why isn’t Chloe here? Will she be coming later?” Conor decided to change the subject.

“She’s back home vising her mom to celebrate her getting the key to the garage.” Max explained.

“Oh yes! She texted us the good news! We’ll all have to go out when she comes back to celebrate!” Lara said with a fervent tone in her voice.

“It’s nice to see her moving forward.” Warren observed. They all knew the horrible relationship the three women had with Arcadia Bay, especially their run in with Nathan and Jefferson, minus Max’s time rewinding powers.

“Yes, we’re really proud of her.” Rachel added.

It was then that a man’s voice was heard speaking in the microphone, introducing tonight’s indie rock band. Not long after the introduction, the first song was blasting through the speakers filling the room with the singer’s melodic voice and upbeat tunes.

“Ooo you know what time it is!” Conor said enthusiastically.

“Time to shake those asses!” Lara shouted as she got up dragging Seth and Warren with her.

“Come on Max!” Rachel said pulling her along.

“Oh no no! Me no dance. You all know what happened last time.”

“Stepping on a few feet will not deter us!” Cried out Conor.

“Fine. But no complaining after!” Max giggled as she stood up and followed her friends.

The whole gang was soon up and dancing, laughing to their hearts content. Max messed around with Warren and Seth. Conor was on his own little planet breaking it down by himself while Rachel and Lara danced together.

After a few songs, Rachel twirled her way next to Max, purposely lifting her hands above her head to expose silk skin and noting how the other couldn’t keep her eyes off her. As if reading the switch in both their body language, the band turned to a calmer song which _screamed_ slow dance.

“Would you do me the honour?” Max said with an outstretched arm.

“Oh who me?” Rachel faked astonishment, looking around to make sure Max was addressing her.

“I only see one stunning woman in front of me.”

“Who knew you’d be such a flatterer.”

“Is it working?” Max inquired, lips curved in a side smile. 

“Mmm exceedingly well.” Rachel whispered, resting her arms on Max’s shoulders as the latter placed her hands on Rachel’s waist, thumbs caressing the skin just above the skirt’s waistline.

The singer’s harmonious voice was low and deep, making everyone sway to the pace she set.

Rachel stepped in closer until they were flush against each other, tilting her head to the side so the young photographer could feel each time the blonde breathed out on her neck, sending shivers down Max’s spine as she felt hot puffs of air caressing her skin.

At some point Rachel moved her head and purposely slow brushed her lips against Max’s neck, knowing all too well what it would do to her girlfriend. Right on cue, the model felt Max’s hands squeeze her hips in response to the teasing. Two could play at that game and Rachel considered herself a professional.

Across the room, their friends had returned to the table to catch their breath. Glimpsing at them from time to time.

“I bet you guys all of tonight’s drinks, that these two are fucking tonight.” Lara said with a sly smile on her face.

“Oh please, it’s obvious. They’ve been practically eye-fucking all night.” Conor said as if stating the obvious.

“Can you guys not?” Warren interjected. “I do not want to have _those_ type of images of my best friends in my head.”

Conor opened his mouth to say something inappropriate.

“No. Shut it!” Warren glared at him.

“Innocent.” Conor raised his hands in submission.

“Ahaha now that’s something you’re clearly not!” Seth jested.

“Fuck all of you! I miss Chloe. She would understand!”

“What’s gotten all of you so fired up?” Rachel said as she walked up to them with Max on her side, holding hands.

“Conor and Lara were just saying-“Seth started speaking before getting interrupted by Lara.

“We were saying how cute you two look.”

“Why do I have a feeling you’re lying?” Max looked at them suspiciously.

“No promise! Scouts honour.” Conor crossed his fingers.

“Okay now I know you’re definitely lying.” Max smiled nonetheless as everyone burst out laughing before the couple set back down to enjoy their drinks for the remainder of the night.

It was a bit after midnight when Rachel and Max said goodnight to everyone and headed home in an uber.

During the whole way back, the atmosphere was heavy with anticipation and crackling with nervous energy. Both women could sense it, knew of the unspoken promise. That didn’t mean though that they weren’t anxious either. Especially Max. Yes, she had slept with Chloe and all three of them together, but she had never actually spent a whole night with Rachel. Just the _two_ of them. She wanted it, had fantasied about it even, but was still conscience of the fact that Rachel had been with Chloe for so long that she wasn’t sure if Rachel wished to take that extra step with her as well. Maybe she didn’t want to go down that road. 

Max had been lost in thought for the last stretch to the house that she hadn’t realised they were standing in front of the entrance to their apartment with Rachel unlocking the door and closing it behind them before shoving Max up against it and crashing her lips against the brunette’s, nothing elegant about it. Just raw passion. The photographer gasped in surprise and that gave Rachel the perfect opportunity to slip her tongue in her mouth and explore causing Max’s brain to stop functioning, error 404 not found.

Fuck, that felt _so_ good. Rachel was an exceptional kisser; however Max couldn’t just sit there and do nothing and so answered back by wrapping her arms around the blonde, bringing them closer together and dragging her tongue against plush lips. Rachel smiled into the kiss while parting Max’s legs with her right thigh to allow herself to bear down on the other. The brunette couldn’t help but moan into the kiss at the sensation which sparked a fire in her, setting every fibre of her being aflame.

Okay. Okay this was happening. Yet Max’s insecurity was still eating away at her, she needed to be sure that Rachel wanted this as badly as she did.

“Rachel, w-wait.” She said in a shaky voice.

The actress stopped immediately and looked at her under hooded eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Concern was evident in her voice.

“Nothing. I-it’s just, well…”

“Talk to me love.” Rachel spoke in a soothing voice.

“Well, I know we’ve all slept together but you and Chloe have been together for years…And I don’t know…” She trailed off, massaging the back of her nape. “I just wanted to be sure that you wanted this too. That you were okay with going all the way with just _me_.”

Rachel’s eyes lit up in understanding the moment she heard the words leaving her girlfriend’s mouth.

“Max.” She brought her hands to cradles the other’s face. “When I said I wanted us to be together, I meant it. All.Three.Of.Us” She emphasised each word with a light kiss. “Just because I am with Chloe for longer does not mean I don’t want you or that I don’t _love_ you.”

Max’s blue eyes flew to Rachel’s instantly. Mind working at hyper speed to processes what the other had just confessed.

“Love?” She asked as her heart pounded so fast and hard against its ribbed cage that she could practically hear her own pulse drumming in her ears.

“Yes dummy! I love you!” Rachel answered with a laugh. “I’ve wanted you to myself for a long time, but I just didn’t think you were ready or…wanted to be just the two of us.”

Max saw a flash of insecurity dance past those hazel eyes but was gone as soon as it had appeared. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Here she was trying for the past week to come up with the right way and time to tell Rachel she loved her only to have the other beat her to it.

“I love you too! Jesus, I’ve been trying to find the right moment to tell you for the past week! We really are idiots, aren’t we?”

“Hey! Talk for yourself.” She teased. “But you know…” and there it was, just like that the softness of her voice dissipated and gave its place to a seductive undertone. “Don’t tell Chloe this, but I’ve always wanted to fuck a pretty girl with freckles, it’s always been on my to-do list.”

Max laughed at hearing this big revelation. All her uncertainties and doubts beginning to wash away.

“Well tonight is your lucky night then.” She said before crashing their lips together again, this time with no restraint.

Max kissed her way past Rachel’s mouth, jaw line and descended to her exposed neck, lavishing it with open-mouthed kisses. Meanwhile, Rachel shoved Chloe’s leather jacket off Max’s shoulders while tilting her head back to expose more skin which Max made sure to run her tongue along resulting in an appreciative hum from the other.

Both women fumbled in the dark apartment, not once letting go of each other. They somehow ended with Rachel trapping Max between her arms, who was leaning against the kitchen counter. Somewhere in their erratic movements someone must have hit the light switch and Max didn’t know if that was a blessing or a curse because now she could clearly see Rachel’s features and dear lord was she gorgeous. Her light brown eyes carried such hunger in them as they roamed over Max’s lithe body that the photographer felt a heat pool in her core at how much she was turned on and desiring more contact.

As if reading her mind, Rachel lurched forward, biting on Max’s collar bone that she’d been eyeing all night and finally, _finally_ getting the chance to sink her teeth on the exposed skin that was covered in freckles which she had come to love and understand why Chloe wouldn’t shut up about them. With both her hands, Rachel grabbed Max by the ass and with force pulled her down on her thigh that was resting between the other’s legs, controlling the rhythm to which Max started grinding her core against her.

The photographer gasped in pleasure at the sensation of something pressing on one of her most sensitive parts but it wasn’t nearly enough. Apart from the fabric being in the way, the pace was agonisingly slow and it was making Max steadily lose her mind while at the same time made her become increasingly worried that she would dampen Rachel’s skirt because she was certain that by now, she had soaked through her pants from how _wet_ she was.

Max needed to do something with her hands, anything and so settled for placing them on Rachel's exposed waist and slowly raised them, dragging along her top until the model had to break away to remove it.

Well. Fuck.

Blue eyes roamed over Rachel’s exposed skin, taking in every beauty dot that was scattered across her stomach all the way up, up until Max’s eyes landed on a dark red, laced push up bra that made a perfect contrast to her toned skin. Max must have not realised that she had voiced her thoughts aloud because Rachel chuckled.

“Like what you see?” She teased, leaning slightly back to give Max a better view.

“Extremely.” Max said in a husky voice not even she knew could summon before stepping forward with renewed vigour, kissing and pushing Rachel out of the kitchen area and towards the rooms, not once breaking apart.

Rachel’s gasp broke the kiss when her back hit a cold wall, the pause giving Max the perfect opportunity to place her hand under Rachel’s right thigh and bring it up so the blonde could wrap her leg around the other’s midriff. Max mimicked her move from earlier that night in the bar, caressing her way up tender skin but this time going higher until her palm was resting on Rachel’s ass, fingertips meeting lace once more.

Max groaned against Rachel’s neck. She must be wearing matching lace underwear. The realisation went straight to her clit, making her throb. Jesus this woman was going to be the end of her. She needed to get her in bed. Now.

Right on cue, Rachel spoke.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Her eyes shown with devilment.

Max saw where in the house they stood and grinned.

That’s all the confirmation Rachel needed to open the door behind her and entered Chloe’s room.

With a swift move, Rachel turned around and started pushing Max towards the bed. Hands fumbling with her shirt, trying to undo it. The movements were borderline frantic and gave away just how turned on Rachel was too to be struggling with such a trivial task. 

The young photographer backtracked until the back of her knees hit the bed and allowed herself to fall on the cool mattress which was a big contrast to her burning skin. There, on the bed she looked dishevelled, hair splayed across the sheets, shirt half unbuttoned and hanging loosely off one shoulder.

Rachel eyed her greedily before tapping a finger on her cheek as if thinking.

“There is only one problem with this picture.” She said with a sultry voice. “You are still wearing way too many clothes for my liking.”

“Well why don’t you come over and do something about it?” Max replied with a playful tone.

“Oh believe me, I will right this wrong immediately.”

And with that Rachel stepped towards the bed, pausing at the edge. She locked eyes with Max and unzipped the side of her plaid skirt deliberately slow, letting gravity do the rest of the work.

Max instantly felt her throat go dry at the sight of Rachel standing right in front of her. She had been right. Matching dark red lace underwear met her hungry gaze and all thought process ceased to exist.

The model began moving like a feline towards her prey and without any more delay, Rachel swiftly removed Max’s shirt and tight jeans, not without a bit of struggle that resulted in both women having a laughing fit, leaving Max in her emerald green bra and underwear. 

When the laughter died out, Rachel was standing over Max on all fours, taking in pale skin scattered with freckles starting from her face and traveling all the way down to her shoulders and the rest of her body. Rachel needed a moment to collect her thoughts because the view of the woman beneath her had knocked all air out of her lungs. _So pretty_ she thought.

Albeit, radiating confidence and seeming as if she knew what she was doing, Rachel still had to fight her own demons and trust issues especially after what had happened with her father. She knew she could be a lot, especially with how hot tempered she could get, so she felt extremely lucky to have not one but two incredible women in her life that loved and supported her. It meant the world to her that someone as kind-hearted as Max was able to see past her troubled past and risk everything for her. The very same woman that was lying underneath her and _trusting_ her enough to take their relationship a step further.

Max must have realised something was up because she broke Rachel’s trance-like state by placing her hand on the other’s cheek.

“Are you okay?” Worry was apparent in her voice.

“Yes, of course. I was just thinking how beautiful you look.” Rachel deflected, not wanting to ruin the mood.

Max felt defenseless against the compliment. A blush was surely blossoming on her cheeks.

“I’m not really. I sometimes still have trouble believing you want me.” She couldn’t help but voice her insecurity.

“Max.” Rachel said “Trust me when I say you are hot as hell. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.” Rachel took Max’s hand and guided it to her entrance, incentivizing Max to press firmly against her.

“Mmm see?”

Max unconsciously licked her lips. Sure enough Rachel’s underwear was drenched, her fingers coming back wet.

“Fuck.” Was the only monosyllable word the young photographer could conjure.

“Hm that’s the plan love.”

If ever there was a time to stop doubting, this was it. Max was so incredibly turned on by the gesture and needing to do something to appease the growing desire inside her that she grabbed Rachel by the waist and pulled her down, grinding against her hard, forcing both women let out a moan at the delightful pressure on their clits.

Sweet lord it felt amazing, a delicious heat building in her belly but Max wanted more, and Rachel was all the more willing to give it to her.

The model took charge again, bending down to resume her previous treatment of kissing and licking her way down Max’s neck until she reached the swell of her breast. Without a warning she mouthed over the thin fabric on one nipple while her hand took care of the other.

Max arched her back into the feel as she bit her lip, humming in satisfaction at getting some much-wanted attention but the fabric was preventing her from fully enjoying Rachel’s warm touch. It had to go, and not just hers.

Max grunted as she maneuvered to unhook her bra and then her girlfriend’s.

“Someone’s eager tonight.” Rachel pointed out. “I thought you liked the red bra.”

“I love it but with you still wearing it, I wouldn’t be able to do _this_.” Max lurched forward and took a nipple between her lips, sucking on it before circling her tongue around the sensitive skin. 

“Point taken.” Rachel moaned as her hands came up to rest on her girlfriend’s nape, massaging lightly to show her approval.

When Max moved away to kiss her again, the blonde returned the kiss with bruising force, pushing the younger back so she lay in bed again.

Rachel shuffled lower while running her teeth against soft pale skin, biting down on Max’s breast and eliciting such melodic sounds that made Rachel want to drown in every single one of them as the brunette melted away under her skilful hands and tongue.

All the while, Max’s hands roamed over the blonde’s back, nails digging in and leaving red trails along her spine, something that made Rachel shudder and Max didn’t fail to notice. This didn’t only serve as a purpose of pleasing Rachel but also as a way for grounding herself while her girlfriend continued to scrape her teeth against pink skin, turning her into putty with every kiss.

Max, unlike Chloe, considered herself a patient person but right now she was so pent up she could hardly remain still. Rachel toying with her on top of being worked up since the bar wasn’t helping. She desperately needed to come. Sooner rather than later.

“Rachel. Please…I-Ah!“ Max was cut off by Rachel rolling her hips and applying pressure on her clit, leaving her breathless and wanting more. 

“Please what?” Rachel smirked, knowing perfectly well what it was Max needed but wanting her to say it out loud.

 _So this is how it’s going to be huh?_ Max thought to herself. Of course the blonde would make her beg for it. Max would have to get her revenge later. Right now, her brain was screaming for one thing. Release.

“I need you to fuck me right now.” Max responded while looking her straight in the eyes. She wasn’t usually very vocal in bed unless she was extremely horny, case in point. Her body felt attuned to Rachel’s every move and every touch, kiss or roll of the hips send her brain into a mindless frenzy of chasing after her wants and needs.

“Hhm good girl.” Rachel smiled before leaning in and kissing her, tongue teasing the roof of the brunette’s mouth and biting her lower lip before parting again. With ease she got off Max and went to one of Chloe’s drawers to grab the strap-on and lube.

With practiced moves, she adjusted the harnesses and dropped the lube on the bed.

“I um… don’t think you’ll be needing that with the way I am at the moment.” Max said, eyeing the bottle.

“Oh? Let’s have a look, shall we?” Rachel answered not hiding the amusement in her voice, eyebrow arched high.

Kneeling at the edge of the bed, she grabbed hold of the brunette’s underwear and slowly peeled it off with ease. Rachel tried to steady her own heartbeat at the sight of pink folds in front of her. She was so worked up as well that she had half a mind not to shove her hand past her underwear and get herself off while eating Max out.

The blonde ran her finger against Max’s sex with a feather light touch that it almost tickled and without a single word, spread her girlfriend’s folds with her tongue, finally tasting her.

“F-fuck!” Max cried out as her hips rose from the bed at the sudden feel. The model seemed to have expected the reaction and quickly moved her head back before pinning Max’s hips back down. Rachel’s tongue left a scorching trail as it lapped around her clit before dropping to Max’s entrance and pushing inside. “Christ that feels so good” The photographer managed to say through gritted teeth. It was taking all her strength not to grab Rachel by the hair and push her face further in. 

“You’re right love. There’s no need for it _but_ , I like to be extra careful, so I’ll still be using it.” Rachel replied whilst running her fingers along glistening folds to coat them before adding two fingers in as she looked up at her girlfriend. Upon feeling Rachel inside her, Max’s eyes rolled at the back of her head, gasping when the other curled them upwards. She let out a silent cry at the sweet pressure against her walls, her hip involuntarily rolling and trying to match Rachel’s pace.

Good God how could she already be this close? After a few experimental thrusts, Rachel removed her fingers, not without the other’s protest, and licked them clean making sure to keep her eyes locked with the brunette who was lying breathless beneath her.

“Now be a good girl and come here.”

Rachel sat on the bed and motioned for Max to come sit on her lap. The photographer gladly obliged and made her way over, placing her legs on either side of Rachel and taking the lube-coated blue silicon dildo to align it to her entrance before stopping. She locked eyes with the blonde, holding onto her shoulders for support and lowered herself slowly only when Rachel gave an approving nod.

Fuck, the stretch was divine.

Only when it was fully inside her did Max let out a shaky breath she had been holding and wrapped her legs around Rachel who placed one hand on Max’s lower back for support and the other hand on her waist so as to have better control of the rhythm.

Leisurely, Max started rolling her hips and enjoying how full she felt. A river of feel-good chemicals flushed her mind, firing up every synapses when a few seconds later Rachel began to move as well, gradually taking control of the pace she used to fuck Max. All the photographer could do was hold on for dear life as Rachel grabbed her in a vice grip and fucked into her harder with Max meeting her thrusts halfway. She had managed to keep a good rhythm until the blonde took a hardened nipple in her mouth and sucked on it, teeth barely grazing over the sensitive bud and sending a bolt of pleasure straight to her throbbing clit.

“Shit. Rachel, that’s so... You’re so…” Max had half the mind to finish the sentences she had started.

“Such a good girl Max. Taking it so well for me.” Rachel breathed against her breasts, making Max shudder at the sensation of hot puffs of air on her flushed skin.

Seeing how needy Max was, Rachel decided to pick up the pace until Max was practically bouncing in her lap, knowing it would bring her girlfriend _this_ much closer to the release she so desperately wanted. However, the blonde had other plans for Max and so abruptly seized all movement.

Max cried out in frustration, not believing how close she had been to coming only to have that blissful feeling disappear right in front of her eyes like snuffing out a cigarette’s fire.

“Rachel, come on, I want to come.” She whimpered while resting her head on the blonde’s shoulders. She had been so close. So _damn_ close, the silicon dick pressing so finely against that sensitive spot inside her.

“I don’t know babe. You were being an awful tease at the bar tonight. Do you really deserve it?”

Max squirmed in her spot, trying to get any sort of friction but Rachel stopped her with a devilish grin plastered on her face.

“Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it.” Max retorted with a bit of defiance in her voice. “Now please Rachel, move, I need to feel you. _Please_.” She felt like a fine-tuned organ whose strings were beginning to stretch tightly and soon would snap.

“How can I refuse such a pretty girl when she’s begging me so nicely?” Rachel smiled at Max who fidgeted in her arms, knowing all too well what the praise did to the brunette.

Rachel started moving again at a fast pace while pulling Max down hard on her. Unfortunately for her, this had the aftermath of rubbing the base of the strap-on against her clit and Rachel new that by now she had soaked through her underwear which was surely ruined. For now though, she turned all her attention to Max. She wanted to make her feel good. To show her how much she wanted her and dispel any remaining doubts.

“You’re doing so good Max. Such a good girl.” Max was beaming under the praise; she couldn’t take her eyes off Rachel and her delicate features. It was such a thrill to have someone like Rachel Amber praise you.

“Rach I’m so close. I-“ Max’s voice hitched. She could barely breathe from how amazing it felt, just a little more, she needed just a little something extra to tip her over the edge. Her prayers were answered in the form of Rachel’s hand moving from her waist and up to grab a handful of brown locks and harshly yank them back, forcing Max’s head to loll back and expose her neck like a meal ready for the taking.

Max hissed but the pain from having her hair being pulled was exquisite.

Rachel didn’t hesitate one minute to sink her teeth in the bare neck that by now was sporting blue and purple bruises. She ran her tongue along her creations until she reached the brunette’s lips and crashed them together in a fiery kiss.

This was the last push Max needed to fall head-first in a pool of euphoria while her body tensed up momentarily before spasming hard as she came all over Rachel, who continued to thrust in her. The model drank up every moan and cry that trickled out of Max’s lips as she gradually came down from her high. Hips slowly coming to a gradual halt.

“Are you alright?” Rachel asked, a bit out of breath herself.

Max pushed her hair back, revealing a pair of intense blue eyes looking back.

“Alright? Rachel that was incredible!”

Rachel’s response was to kiss her on the forehead, feeling elated.

Once she got her breathing in check, Max lifted herself up, removing the soaking dildo and lying down in bed, giving space for Rachel to take off the strap-on and her lace underwear. Max couldn’t help but stare at the smooth skin and how wet Rachel was. All she wanted to do was taste her.

Rachel noticed Max’s eyes on her and purposely began touching herself. Spreading glistening folds for the other to see. She would have put on a show if it weren’t for her clit aching that even her touch made her knees buckle.

“Need some help with that?” Max inquired already knowing the answer.

“I thought you’d never ask.” Rachel said while pushing her hair to the side and straddled Max once more.

However, Max didn’t stay in her place. Instead, she wiggled down the bed until her face was right under Rachel’s sex.

“Oh?” Rachel quirked an eyebrow.

Max’s only response was to wink at her before she started licking the running rivulets down her thigh all the way up until her tongue was lavishing slick folds.

“Oh fuck!” Rachel exclaimed, finally getting some form of relief as well.

Max hummed in approval which had Rachel grinding fervently against her face as she happily went to work, eating her out vigorously, tongue poking in and out of her entrance.

“Holly shit Max!” Rachel moaned as she rode Max’s face, head spinning in ecstasy.

The photographer’s mouth was too full to answer so she responded by licking Rachel’s clit in quick successions before taking the sensitive bud between her lips and sucking. _Hard_.

“ _Fuuuck_.” Rachel cried out, her thighs quivering as she tried not to fall over. Hardly believing how something could feel so good. She could feel her orgasm approach like a tidal wave, strong and unstoppable but at the same time never wanted this ride to end.

“Jesus, Max you’re _so_ good at this.” Rachel praised her which resulted in the other humming again, causing Rachel to grab Max’s hair once more because _holly fuck_ the vibrations around her clit nearly made her come on the spot.

Max’s jaw began to ache but there was no way in hell she would stop. Not when she knew she was the reason why Rachel was shivering from pleasure.

“Max please. Oh God-“ Rachel was cut off when Max pushed her tongue back inside her. The combined feeling of Max’s tongue with the way she rode the brunette’s face, causing her clit to rub against Max’s lips and nose, had Rachel’s eyes water from how fucking _fantastic_ it felt. Rachel had absolutely no idea when Max had learned to curl her tongue like that, hitting all the right places, but she wasn’t about to complain.

Max wanted to chuckle. Oh how the tables had turned. If she wasn’t so spent herself, she would have dragged this out for as long as possible. Maybe next time.

“I’m so close. Don’t… don’t stop.” Rachel ordered, out of breath. Her body moved with less precision as she tethered towards the edge. The young photographer took this as her cue to continue, replacing long licks with short fast ones against her clit and occasionally sucking on it.

“ _Fuck_ , oh f-fuck baby…so good…doing so well. I’m-“ Rachel’s whole body tensed. She felt her walls contract before crying out Max’s name as she came hard over her girlfriend’s face, soaking her chin and the bed sheets below as her mind went completely blank from the sheer pleasure running wild and hot inside her veins.

Max, always the diligent girlfriend, licked up as much of Rachel’s release as she could, prolonging her orgasm. It could have lasted, a minute or an hour, the blonde honestly couldn’t tell the difference.

When a sense of feeling returned to Rachel’s legs, she moved on her own and collapsed next to an exhausted Max. Both breathing heavily, feeling like each limb weighed a ton.

“Max, babe?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t know when or where you learned that trick, but I have every intention of exploiting it.”

Max burst out laughing at hearing the remark. A sense of pride washing over her.

“I’m glad to be of service.”

Rachel propped herself on her elbow to face Max, her long blonde hair falling down like a curtain and caressing Max’s skin.

“I love you Max Caulfield.”

“I love you too Rachel Amber.” Her smile was wide as the blonde leaned in for a kiss.

“I wish we could’ve seen Chloe’s face if she knew we just defiled her bed.” Rachel said with a sly grin.

“That would, indeed, make for a… priceless photo.” Max said while casting a side glance at her girlfriend and pursing her lips together, trying really hard not to laugh.

“Oh for fuck’s sake! You and Chloe are going to drive me to an early grave with your god-awful puns! No wonder you two were inseparable.”

“I’ll have you know; my puns are far superior to Chloe’s despite her saying otherwise.”

“Uh-huh…”

“I would throw a pillow at you for not believing in my powers, but I am _way_ too tired to move.”

“Good because I don’t want you going anywhere.” With this Rachel snuggled up against Max as she pulled the covers over them, letting sleep and exhaustion finally take the reins.

Chloe was practically a ball of burning energy as she sang along a rock song in her old and trusty truck. She was originally planning to be back in L.A Monday noon but decided to come back a day earlier and surprise her girlfriends. She had even brought with her some tasty treats from the diner for them. Damn she was a thoughtful girlfriend she mused to herself.

It was around noon by the time she pulled up to their place. Surely the girls should be up by then she thought while exiting the car, bringing along her rucksack and gifts. When she entered the apartment however, Chloe was greeted with silence instead of the familiar clicking of Max on her laptop and Rachel trying to pull Max off the couch for another photo session.

“Max? Rachel?”

Silence.

Maybe they had gone out to one of those hipster brunch places the young photographer loved to frequent. _So much for surprising them_ Chloe grumbled. Since no one seemed to be in the house she dropped off the food on the kitchen counter and made a beeline for her room to leave her stuff and maybe call one of them to find out where they were.

Chloe pushed the door to her room open with her foot and instantly stopped mid-stride when she was greeted with a naked Rachel, splayed over a naked Max, still sleeping soundly.

It took a minute to processes what she witnessed before that all too familiar smirk crept up her face while walking towards the bed and loudly clearing her throat.

Max was the first to stir. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking fast until she adjusted to the light creeping in from the open door. When she finally opened them, her heart nearly stopped and her hands went automatically to the bed sheets to cover herself up at seeing a tall figure staring at them without realising who it was yet. Her sudden movement waking Rachel up as well.

“Looks like you two had fun last night. In _my_ bed.” Chloe crossed her arms and feigned annoyance even though that shit eating grin never wavered from her face.

“Jesus Christ Chloe! You scared the shit out of me! We weren’t expecting you till tomorrow.” Max placed her palm over her erratic-beating heart.

“Clearly.”

At that moment Rachel sat up causing the cover to fall and expose the naked upper half of her body, making Chloe stare despite her best efforts not to seem affected by it.

“I’m not apologising for anything. Plus, last night I discovered one of Max’s hidden talents…”

On that note Max unconsciously flexed her still aching jaw and looked at Rachel.

It didn’t take much for Chloe to put two and two together.

“Ah I see. Max had a full course meal then.”

“Chloe!” Max cried, blushing profusely despite having eaten Rachel out last night for all her worth. 

Rachel bit her lip and hummed in agreement as both women looked towards Max who was averting their gaze.

“Shut up! Both of you!” Max complained as she wrapped herself in the fallen covers.

“Isn’t she the cutest when she gets angry?” Rachel said as she ruffled the brunette’s hair.

“That she is.” Chloe agreed. “Now, get your lazy asses out of bed! I’ve brought you something!”

“Not before you get _your_ ass down here and kiss us hello.” Rachel said as she and Max, as if well-timed clocks, reached out simultaneously and grabbed the punk, making her fall on the bed with a thud before covering her in kisses which she gladly accepted.

Once the two women got out of bed and washed up, Max threw on a pair of clean underwear and took Rachel’s ripped red plaid shirt to wear not bothering to button it up and earning a small smirk from the blonde that was also getting dressed next to her; if one could call putting on the over-sized T-shirts she favoured inside the house as “getting dressed”.

When they walked out to join Chloe in the kitchen, the punk did an actual double take because there was so much exposed _skin,_ her brain had to reboot.

“Cat got your tongue?” Rachel poked fun when she caught Chloe staring at both of them.

“N-no, you’re both just...um-fuck.” The punk shook her head as a light pink hue crept up in her cheeks and her heart raced fast in her chest. God, she had missed them so damn much even if she had only been away for a few days. She had missed the casualness and easiness of being around each other.

“Very eloquent babe.” Rachel continued her teasing to the sound of Max chuckling.

“Eat me.” Chloe groused, frowning before moving to remove two containers from a plastic bag she had placed on the counter.

“Serving me breakfast already? How considerate of you.” Rachel fired back and this time Max couldn’t hold back her laugh as Chloe gaped at them, clearly flustered.

“Are you done? Or will there be more bashing?”

“Would you like to find out?” The blonde smiled at her before adding. “So, what’s this surprise you were telling us about?”

“Oh now you wanna know!” Chloe cast her a sharp look before presenting them with the food. “Voila!”

“Uum. What is it?” asked Max, leaning forward to look inside.

“What do you mean? Crunchy Belgian waffles for you Super Max” The punk said as she placed a plastic tupperware in front of her. “And crispy bacon for you” She pushed the other one towards Rachel. “Courtesy of the Two Whale diner!”

Both the brunette and the blonde eyed each other while opening the lid.

“You mean more like sad and soggy?” Rachel replied, giving it a poignant look.

“Yeah Chlo. These look depressed.” Max added.

“Hey! Ungrateful much? I drove as fast as I could to get back!” Chloe retorted, only slightly annoyed.

“I’m really sorry Chloe but you’ve got to admit they do look sad.” Max said while poking the waffles with her finger which left an imprint as if to make a point.

Chloe crossed her arms and huffed. “Yeah, okay they kinda look like they just played in the last scene of the Notebook.”

Rachel and Max could not hide their surprise as they burst out laughing.

“Babe, how the hell do you even _know_ what the Notebook is?” Rachel said between fits of laughter.

“Joyce wanted to watch a romantic movie with me and step-dou- and David for a change. It was playing on tv and so we watched it. I swear I wanted to grab one of his guns and shoot myself in the head not even 10 minutes in.”

“That does sound painful.” Max gave her a sympathetic look before continuing. “Oh, and Chloe, don’t even joke about that again.” She said recalling what had happened the last time the punk had a revolver in her hands.

There had been the faintest hint of fear in Max’s voice which didn’t elude Chloe.

“Yeah, um sorry.”

Without wanting to spoil the mood, Max took Rachel’s hand and came to stand beside the blue haired woman, enclosing her in a tight embrace.

“Jokes aside, that was really sweet of you Chlo. Thank you.” Max placed a small kiss on the punk’s cheek.

“Welcome home Chloe.” Rachel added before kissing her as well.

The punk took in a deep breath and squeezed the two women in her arms. She was home. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please take care out there and I'm always here to share a box of tissues with you, over this game and characters.


End file.
